Good Service at KEB - Korea Exchange Bank

Team

I happily write to talk about the good service I found myself being offered by Korea Exchange Bank today. 

Basically, if you want a bank in Korea that is pretty genuinely foreigner friendly, then KEB, or Korea Exchange Bank, is your go guys. 

I have experienced this service on two separate occasions from branches in Jamsil ( right by Olympic Park ) and in Daegu ( just up from jungangno shopping district ).   I must say have been quite impressed on both occasions. 

On both occasions, I have been dealt with by staff that had good conversational command of the english language, and were happy and comfortable providing necessary banking services to foreign customers like myself.   KEB is willing to deal in all the major currencies, Australian Dollars ( for my own personal needs ) included.   Some banks wont do this so that is another big plus I find. 

Staff at both branches provided me with adequate and up to that particular minute currency exchange rates for won - $AU conversions, and clearly and adequately demonstrated appropriate and proper calculations for what my required $AU amount equated to in Korean Won.  

Tellers at both branches were concise and clear in telling me which parts of forms I needed to fill and were happy to highlight compulsory details and signatures on each form.   

It may seem standard team, but it is so refreshing to have a bank where you know you are being looked after, and guided through the necessary processes as need be. 

Good Job Korea Exchange Bank !!!!!

For more info on Korea Exchange Bank, you can check out their site at http://www.keb.co.kr/main/en/

Its nice to know your money is being dealt with by a professional hand in a most professional way.  

Clara Hair factory in Jukjeon, Bundang

Team

I have to give a shout out here. I was impressed by the service I was given at Clara hair factory in Jukjeon here today.

Their salon is nice and small, yet still with room to move. The staff, all of whom spoke good english, were polite, even managing to tell me how long I would have to wait to be served. When I said what I wanted, they appeared a little unsure at first, but then pulled out the style book and went through some of the pictures with me to confirm with my preferred style.

My cut was also done in a clean, stylish and efficient manner. There was no unnecessary time waisting going on. The person attending asked me if my cut was ok at convenient intervals, and he even sought to go the extra mile by giving me a scalp massage, shampoo and condition.

All in all, I was very impressed. I dont have the exact address, but you can contact them at this number 31 889 2629. All the staff there speak good english, so you should be able to get the address from them. Alternatively you should be able to see their homepage here. You might want to get a Korean speaking friend to help you translate pages on the site.

http://town.cyworld.com/clara

You can trust your hair in the hands of the staff at Clara Hair Factory.

Ediya Coffee

Well team

As I was walking around by the Campus of Dankook University today, I stumbled across Ediya coffee shop and, being on the hunt for good Chai Tea Latte that I am on, I decided to try out the Chai Tea Latte that Ediya have on offer.

I have to say it team. This product was quite good indeed. Its quite a bit like the Tom n Toms Chai Tea Latte in that the tea flavour is very strong at the start but dies off a little to allow to smooth latte of it all take hold. This is generally a good thing, however, where it falls behind is that the Latte flavour is not as strong as the Tom N Toms product. It could have had a little bang and zip to give it a little extra shot in the arm. I think the Starbucks product might also have to second to this one to tho, as the Ediya product tea flavour makes it much more favourable I feel.

If you are ever in Jukjeon in Bundang team, do yourself a favour and get in to Ediya and sample their Chai Tea Latte for yourself. It is worth it. You will find Ediya just down from the main entrance to Dankook University on Dankookdae-gil.

Tell them I sent ya !!!!!

Dankook University

Hey there team,

I was fortunate enough to be able to get over to Yongin today and have a look at Dankook University.  It wasn't necessarily a planned thing, but it was one of those opportunities that just happened to pop up and present itself.   Alas, I got to see the school. 

And I must say I really did like the look of the place indeed.  

You know, it reminds me of my old school back home, Flinders University in Adelaide South Australia.   Dankook University has a really modern, updated, clean, open, progressive feeling about it.   It feels like a modern place of education should feel - like it has a passion for yesterday and today while creating a better tomorrow. 

Inaugurated in 1947, Dankook Universities seeks to help society attain 3 central things - National Salvation, Independence, and Self reliance.   If you know anything about Korean history up until that time, you will indeed know why the founders of the school sought to impart these 3 tennets.    Between the years 1910 and 1945, Korea was colonized as an annexe of Japan.   Korea suffered horrendously at the hands of the Japanese, and if Korea was to get back to its feet, then it was going to have to thoroughly embed the above tennets into its national psyche.   

The plan for Dankook University to achieve its goals was to set up an educational system that would have students seeking truth and being better humans through development of respect, being prepared to be creative, and turning theory into practice.  

Dankook University has a broad range of schools to help execute the disciplines necessary to be a force in todays world.   The University has schools of Humanities, Law, Social Science, Business, Natural Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, Education, Arts, Music, Liberal Arts, Economics/Commerce, Bio-resources, Sport Science, Dentistry, and Medicine.  

The school's Graduate Programs evolve from programs such as Industry/Business Admin, Legal Studies/Policy Admin, Information Technology, Special Ed, Real Estate, and TESOL. 

Dankook is a University that is certainly moving forward indeed.   You can read more about the school here..

http://www.dankook.ac.kr/web/eng/home#

Its schools like Dankook that sure help to make the world go round.   

Mongchontoseong, the Pit Hut and Seoul Olympic Park.

Seoul Olympic Park is an awesome exhibit of Seouls place on the Olympic stage team.   Its basically where the good majority of Olympic events from the 1988 Seoul Olympics were held, and many of the gyms, stadia and arenae that were used during the Olympics are still in active use by the public today.  

Located in Jamsil, you have the former Olympic Velodrome, Tennis arena, Olympic Pool, Gymnastics gym, Hockey and Boxing arenas, with the athletics, basketball, baseball, and soccer being held at the Olympic Stadium just a little further up from the Park itself.  

Of course, being in Seoul there lots of other amenities being used to accompany the sports venues, so I am going to talk a little more about three of them - Mongchon Fortress, the Pit Hut, and the Seoul Olympic Museum, all of which are located in the Park also.  

The Seoul Olympic Museum is a vibrant reminder of the Seoul Olympics as well as other Olympics past.   Located just behind the Seoul Olympic Park Hotel, it provides a glorious reminder, reminiscence, and reflection on the highlights of some of the Olympics past.   You can find out about the birth of the Olympic Movement, the various medal designs, highlights and dramas, the momentum moving the charge towards the Seoul Olympics, and the aftermath of hosting an Olympics. 

The museum itself had 5 different little subsections, each detailing a different component of the Olympics.

As you walk into the museum, you will see the Place of Peace.   Here you can get to see exhibits detailing what the basic premise of the Olympics is about - the meaning of it all, different athletes who have impacted the games, video footage of Olympics past, and details of the emergence of the movement.

Heading up to the second floor, you can see the Place of Harmony, you can see the evolution of how the Seoul Olympics came to be.   Moving to the Place of Prosperity display, you can see footage of the development of the Olympic stadiums, the design of souvenirs and how the whole commercial sphere of the Olympics came to be.   Moving on to the Place of Hope, you can indeed learn about the positive impact that sport has on our society, and how society benefits from the development of sports.  

After seeing how sport helps society, you can enter the Place of Glory, where you can relive the great moments of the Seoul Olympics.   From the ceremonies and torch relay, to the sheer athleticism of the sportspeople, you can relive it all.   I am sure you will love doing this if you are a fan of sports and the Olympics.  

Moving on from the museum, you can take a short walk to the Mongchon fortress museum.   Mongchon Fortress Museum exhibits the wares, views, modes and ideals of prehistoric Seoul.   You can see exhibits from the tombs in the Han River Valley, see remnants of the Mongchontoseong Fortress, and see exhibits of both the Goguryeo and Silla Cultures in Seoul.   You can also see exhibits detailing the Baekje Culture, exhibits from various tombs, and even an ancient dwelling site !!!!!

Heading out from here you can visit the Pit Hut site.   Its here that you can see a display of an underground dwelling site that was actually discovered in that exact spot for the first time back in 1988.   

Once again team I dont have any pics but they are coming soon.   In the meantime, you can check out

http://www.museum.seoul.kr/

http://www.88olympic.co.kr/

http://www.sosfo.or.kr/olpark/main/

Come see the park, and feel the Olympic Spirit !

Pyeongchang 2018

Team

W e need to start supporting the PyeongChang bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Lets start with this video.



Its time to bring the Olympics to Korea.

The Best Chai Tea Latte in South Korea

Ok team

I have decided that its mission time so I have !!! Yes team, you have heard it from James the writer of this muse, that a mission is being undertaken. This is history team. James hasnt necessarily ever had a mission before in his life !!!! Oh well, there's a first time for everything hehehe.

So .. on to the mission.

Damn it if it aint been mentioned somewhere in the blogosphere already, but I seriously believe that, based on the two samples I have had already, that Korea could have some seriously good Chai Tea Latte being brewed in its coffee shops.

I intend to go out, find, and report back to you on where the best Chai tea Latte in Korea is !!!

I have to hand props out to the Starbucks and Tom n Toms crews in Jamsil and Olympic Park respectively as their produce has serious good props being served up.

Team, I never thought I would say it, but I reckon the crew at Tom n Toms in Olympic Park in Jamsil have brewed up a better product than the Starbucks one ! Believe you me I love Starbucks and will go there regularly, but that Tom n Toms Chai Tea Latte has seriously grown on me. Starbucks is certainly creamier and has all the traits of a quality Starbucks coffee, but darn once you get passed the initial tea strength in Tom n Toms, the quality, ambience and flavor of the Tom n Toms produce really does hit you nicely.

I am really impressed by the Tom N Toms Product team. Its a shame that I dont have any pics of it because I would really love to show you and you can see for yourself. However, you can check out Tom N Toms here ...

www.tomntoms.com/eng

I will have my cam soon and all team so I will start getting some pics up and get this little competition up, up and away !!!!

the wonders of a food named tteok

Team

One of the great advertisements for Korea is the food here. On most occasions, it simply is very very delicious indeed. And you have so many different varieties, kinds, and tastes of food going on that its hard to keep up with at times lol. You have it all here - Noodles, Kimchi, vegetables, exotic dishes, its all here. Heck even their snack food is great. And its on that note that I would like to talk about a delightful little snack food I had today. That food is called Tteok.

Tteok is basically a rice cake, usually in the form of Chapssal ( sweet rice ), and is made by steaming. Tteok is as common in Korea as say Chocolate is in the west, and it can come in many different forms, the most noteable being Pine nut, Jujube, mugwort, red bean paste and sesame seed.

Heres a pic to show you what Tteok is




Thanks to derrlen and youtube for this.

Hehehe maybe I dont need to show any more pics now because you have seen a few there !!!!

Oh well I will tell you some more anyway.

Tteok generally comes in 4 forms - steamed, pounded, shaped or pan fried.

Sirutteok, or steamed Tteok, is made up of sesame seeds, starch, persimmons, peaches, apricots and other fruits, and is generally made by first of all soaking the rice and then grounding it.

This is almost the same way that pounded Tteok is made, except that pounded Tteok also uses coated bean powder.

Tteok is also made to suit certain shapes at times. Some the shapes used include Leaves, and you also have Tteok made with honey also.

Last of all you also have pan fried Tteok, where the Tteok is made in a pancake form.

So there you have it. Team, look. If you ever get near a Korean shop or restaurant, then you gotta ask them to see if you can eat this stuff ! Do it !!! You wont be disappointed thats for sure !!!

Culture notes 1 - Korean Work Culture - the harder you make it, the more they work ....

Hi there team,

Well, this little topic for today stems from a rather interesting conversation that a group of us had with our foreign teacher boss last night where we all live.   It was basically about what is considered to be one of the basic tennets of both Korean work culture and Korean culture generally, and I thought it to be really true and interesting, so I have decided to share it with you all here today.  

Our chat basically centred around why Korean people are always going pretty hard at it, generally diligent, and never appearing to argue in times of adversity, and how this all compares with the western attitudes toward work and life in general. 

It basically comes down to this.   In the West, we seem to like to have everything as easy as possible, and we seek to make that a reality at every possible chance we get.   We like to be entertained.   We like to voice what we believe to be our perceived rights.   We like to have everything stated in contract form.   Basically, if its not 100 percent clearly documented and clear for us, we dont seem to adjust too well to it. 

Well team, Korea is different.   Very different.   You see, Korea is like a lot of Asian cultures in that it is based upon Confucian cultural ideals of respect, sacrifice, virtue and right treatment.   Korea is also a strong buddhist country and also partakes in the thought that life indeed is suffering.  

You could say that, as a result of this, Koreans believe that life generally should not be easy.   Koreans tend to percieve that if life is easy, then something must be a little amiss somewhere.   Hence in the workplace, you see them putting in some very long hours, being paid a little less then us foreign counterparts, not being prepared to argue with their boss about matters, and having to show strong levels of respect most of the time. 

Koreans are much more prepared to sacrifice for something higher then themselves than we westerners are.   We tend to have a " Whats in it for us ? " attitude, where as the Koreans seems much more inclined to be prepared to make sacrifices as need be in order to keep things harmonious, even if they do put themselves out of joint in the process.   They can tend to be selfless as a result.  

This can indeed raise some pretty interesting conflicts between Koreans and westerners in the work place, and its something we need to be careful of as westerners I think.   As co-workers in a foreign culture, we need to pay close attention to what that culture requires of us in order to fit in.   Personally I find the Korean way of work is not a bad thing and its a medium that we as westerners can learn alot from.   Maybe we westerners can learn the value and the importance of being able to put something higher then ourselves in a position of priority.    Maybe we can relearn that if we really want something, then we must struggle at times and maybe even have to put ourselves out of joint in order to achieve our goals.   In the workplace, we foreigners get it easy compared to the Koreans.   Its not us that generally has to account for things, yet Korean workers are held accountable and even scolded quite badly at times by their bosses for getting things out of place so to speak.  

People are expected to work hard here, as its believed that people get soft when things get easy.   Hard work is believed to keep people on their toes and in line.   It keeps people stimulated, always careful, and always having to give their best at all times.  

I think we really do need to adapt that to the way we do things in the west.     

Kara - Lupin

More K pop from kara to keep you all happy !!!

Lotte World Folk Museum

Hi there team. I am going to keep on with the history theme that seems to have started on this blog for the moment. I managed to get in and see the Lotte World Folk Museum, which is located on the third floor of the Lotte Department Store complex in Jamsil in Seoul, and is basically the entrance to the Lotte World theme park area. I made my mind up last week that I would do it today so after finishing my teaching job for the day at 12pm, I took myself up on that plan.

And it was a good thing I did.

I say that because even though the actual area of the museum is small, there was enough scenery, situation, and scent to give a really good feeling to the museum and its ideal of providing a small yet solid depiction of the history of Korea.

It really did start right at the entrance to the museum. It was like you were walking into a temple, with the initial set depicting a type of Korean architecture that is common place amongst the many temples and shrines in Korea. Admittedly I am unsure of the era of the architecture involved, yet I must say that it did appear to have what looked like a strong chinese influence.

But hehehe thats about the only Chinese stuff you are likely to see in the museum. The entrance being done away, the path then leads on to a rather solid insite into Korean history through the use of model, act, and visual.

The museum is pretty much divided up into sections. You have a Traditional Wedding Hall, a historic exhibition hall, a miniature village, a performance hall and a Jeojagori where you can sample some delightful Korean traditional food.

The Jeojagori is pretty much the first place most people in the museum tend to encounter when they first come in. It is pretty much divided up into four sections, named Songpa, Jumak, Seokchon, and Mongcheon. Each of these sections contains food that is said to be representative of the food eaten in Korea during the Joseon Period, a period which lasted for 5 centuries from the year 1392 to 1910, when the Japanese entered Korea and pretty much colonised it.

You know what team, I honestly believe that there would have been many fat people in Korea in this time. Do you know why I feel this ??? Well, if the food I was able to look at today was any indication, people would have eaten so much of it because it was so damn good !!!!!! Many Korean specialities that are around today were the staple of the diet back then, and these included well known Korean favourites such as Bulgogi, Octopus jeon-gol ( a type of Octopus soup ), Spiced soup with room, Pajeon ( a kind of pancake ), a traditional Korean alcoholic drink named Makkeoli, Bibimbap ( rice and veg ), spicy bean soup, cold noodle soup, and Samgyetang ( Ginseng Chicken Soup ).

Now thats a feast that is sure fit for a king let me tell ya !!!

After leaving the sweet scents and aromas of the Jeojagori, I ventured through to the traditional wedding area of the museum. I must say I was quite interested to see the various exhibits pertaining to the customs and culture of a traditional Korean wedding, especially as I was able to witness an enactment of one. A traditional Korean wedding is not too disimilar from a western wedding, yet has quite a few little intricate differences that really do set it apart.

Back in historic ages, the wedding was generally held at the brides house, with the groom coming over to pick up the bride and take her back to his parents house, where they would live together. The wedding costumes would be very traditional in nature, and the grooms family would carry a chest of gifts to the brides family. Both the man and woman would wear what is called a Jeogori, which is a form of wedding jacket, special headware, and Hanbok, the traditional Korean dress.

Aside from special clothing and costumes, the Korean Wedding also shares what you could say was a set procession for things to happen. It was generally common practice that the bridegroom would arrive first, and would of course be followed by the bride. Both would reach the altar where I do believe it was a buddhist priest would perform the ceremony. The next thing to happen would be the offering of a goose, as a sign of good luck for the married couple. Traditional wedding bows would then take place, and there would be a kind of toast to celebrate the wedding. The final act would be of course the procession out of the house as newlyweds off to lead their new lives.

Just as I decided to head off to the main exhibition hall hehehe. This part of the museum was quite visual and stimulating indeed.

The Hall is pretty much divided into 7 different little subsections, each little sub talking about a different part of Korea's history.

You have the prehistoric room where you can see exhibits displaying life from the caveman period, caves, huts, the making of bronze and relics from this time. You can then go to the Goguryeo and Baekje rooms, where you will see tomb relics, early buddhist exhibits, and tomb relics from the King Muryeong period. Heading into the Gaya room, you can early exhibits of Korean iron and pottery development, much of which would eventually be used in Goryeo pottery, a famed Korean pottery set. In the Silla room, you can see an exhibit for the Daewangnam Rock, which is said to be the underwater tomb for King Minmu. You can also see Sokkuram Cave Temple, and also meet up with an exhibit of Queen Sundeok. Heading from the Silla room to the Goryeo Room, where you can see exhibits of the pottery making and metal fabricating that took place in Goryeo era, said to be a proud era for Koreans. Another great thing to see here is the Goryeo Tripitaka, often referred to as the corner stone of the development of Korean buddhism.

Its from here that you can pretty leave the main hall and go into the Miniature Village room. The miniature village has over 2000 little characters set up over 43 different scenes. You can see the model scale depicting life in the joseon dynasty, showing such things as Royal Court proceedings, Harvesting, Kimchi making, Sacrifices, Funerals, weddings and even a 60th birthday !!!!! hehehe ... got to have a little celebration huh !!!!

So there you have it team. Lotte World Folk village really has gone to great lengths to give people a great insite into the history of Korea. You can also pick up lots of souvenirs when there. I saw some wonderful little things that really are great depictions of Korea. I even bought a museum T-Shirt hehehe ! Seriously team, if you want to see some wonderful Korean history, you really should check out the Lotte World Folk Museum. You will not be disappointed.

You can check it out here

http://www.lotteworld.com/

Come on team. Do it. You know you want to. ;)

Would you do the one beer bet !?!?

You know team, there are times in ones life when one must take up the challenge. One must take up the slack. One must sow his wild oats and just say stick it !!!!! And this is one of those times....

We all have a mountain to climb in our lives team. We all have a rock that makes us roll. We all have a thing that says to us, " its my way or the highway " .....

and in this case.....

ITS A DAMN HUGE HIGHWAY !!!!

And its going all the way across America team.... on foot !!!

Team, meet my buddy Woody. This young man, currently residing in Busan, is going to take it all on. He is going to walk across America for a beer !!!! Yep I am serious ! he starts his epic trek on May 1 in California and hopes to be in Delaware by December... on the other side of the US !!!! Come on team ! Check it all out and lend your support to him as he hits the big wide road...

You can see it all here

http://www.onebeerbet.com/

Newer Epik High !

Just found this little gem on the tube. Its called Wannabe and its some recent stuff from Epik High .... enjoy !!!!!

The House of Sharing - A respite for the Korean Women who suffered as sex slaves to the Japanese in World War 2.

Hi there team,

Tonight I wanna write to you all about something different then K pop and Baseball lol ! Yes team I know its going to be a shock and all but hey you will like the idea I am sure.  

I am going to write about a place I was very fortunate to visit when I was in Seoul in 2007.   It is a place that is directly attached to the heart and soul of Korea, and has certainly played a part in the how and why of the relations Korea has with its neighbours, especially, utterly and particularly Japan, and the everlasting memories of what regularly is a tempered and testy relationship indeed, even at the best of times.  

The place I visited is referred to as the House of Sharing, and it houses those unfortunate poor elder women who, in their youth, were subjected to some of the most brutal, inhumane, and horrific treatment ever dished out to a human being at the hands of the Japanese soldiers during World War 2.  

It certainly was a moving experience.   I mean we as humans, and indeed readers of my blog, we complain about the basics of life with consumate ease.   We moan about our boss, our rent, our partner, and whatever else happens to be on our mind at that given time.   Well team, maybe its time for us to put our simple issues aside and consider that some people in the world have it far more horrific then we do.  

And trust me, these women suffered horrendously.  

The House of Sharing will prove to be a lasting testament to this. 

The memories of the horrors suffered by these poor women are now forever enshrined not just in the psyche of the Korean People, but in a commemorative museum in a small town in Gwangju-si, in the Gyunggi-do province area about 50 minutes out of Seoul.  

From an aesthetic viewpoint, the house is pretty much like any other house, except for a few extra amenities, in the form of a meeting hall and museum area.   Some may even wonder what the fuss is indeed all about.

Well team.   Aesthetics mean nothing here.  Its when you go deeper inside and see the replica of the kind of room that young Korean women were forced to have sex with the Japanese soldiers and the other museum exhibits that your mind starts to role and acknowledge the very magnitude of this tumultuous and periless time in Korea's history.   

The house itself was first commissioned in 1992, and is currently home to 7 former comfort women, their helpers and a buddhist priest who is the director of the house.   Age may have wearied them physically, yet I can assure you, their memories of the horrors that happened to them have not dimmed.  

They can still recall the horrendous pain and suffering inflicted upon them.   The having to eat fellow comfort women.   The forced sex with at least 20 men a day.   The total dehumanization experienced.   The seeing of their friends being cooked.   The horrors of it all.  

Team, words really cant describe just what it was these women went through.    I remember in the tour group I was with, we had about 20 people.   When we were inside the museum, we were asked if we wanted to go into a replica of the kind of room that the women were forced to have sex in.   Only 3 people took up the chance.   People were really strongly emotional about this.   I know I felt it when I was inside the room and standing right next to the replica bed.   It was kind of surreal.   I could basically visualize a young woman lying there in agony as she is having her dignity removed from her, and just feeling helpless as I am unable to do anything to stop it from happening.  

That, my friends, was a horrible feeling. 

Its sure not something I wish to feel again anytime soon.  

But I couldnt help but feel it.   I mean you cant fully understand what these women went through unless you are fully prepared to allow yourself to do so.    You will not be effected by the experience if you dont.   You have to allow yourself to feel it.   

Another touching moment is when you are able to hear one of the former comfort women actually talk about her experiences.   We were able to hear one of them talk about how she was raped numerous times, tortured, made to eat her dead friends, and have so many internal problems that her child bearing abilities had been rendered non existent.   Yep, she went into a lot of things.

What she talked about certainly made me think about a lot of the supposed problems I have in life, and how, compared to these women, my issues are basically insignificant.   I learned to acknowledge and understand that in my life, I have had it very easy, and that some simply have not had it as good as I have.

Even though I love japan and the Japanese people,  I am not going to sugarcoat what they did.   The soldiers committed horrible atrocities and I hope they are never forgotten and that one day the Japanese Government accepts responsibility for these actions and officially apologises on the matter.    Only time will tell of that ever happens.  

Team you owe it to yourself to visit the house of sharing when you come to Korea.   You will be a changed person by doing so.   And that change will be for the better.  

To plan your trip, you can go here...

http://www.nanum.org/eng/index.html

You really do owe it to yourself to check this out.   

Korean baseball first impressions

Today was a great afternoon team as I got to see my first of what I plan to be quite a few baseball games in the Korean Baseball League this year.   Even though it was raining here in Seoul, the inclement weather did not dampen the joy, enthusiasm, and sheer pleasure of being at Jamsil Stadium to see the two stadium co tenants, LG Twins and Doosan Bears, go at it in the first official preseason game for season 2010.  

And like the crowd, the vibe, and the atmosphere, the game didnt disappoint either.   If todays game was any indication about the prospects of both the Twins and the Bears for this season, then this year will be good for both teams.  Period.   Doosan ended up winners today 9-8 in a game that had some good solid action, was close and was generally a decent spectacle for those of us who braved the inclement weather out here on the western side of Seoul today.   I will leave the actual game chatter at that though as today was my first game so I need to start researching the teams some and gaining a handle on all the stats, players, foreign players and all to make that legitimate so to speak.   But what I will chat about is the whole atmosphere of proceedings.

The crowd today at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul turned it into a real loud, happy, boisterous, carnevale like affair with the constant singing, chanting, noise and of course clapping that goes with a baseball game here in Asia.   They love it team and today they really went hard at it to show just how passionate they are about Baseball here in the far east.   They constantly sing, they chant, they love it.  I was honestly taken aback by the sheer joy that the crowd showed today with every good play, every foul ball caught in the crowd, every out and of course every homer.   These guys go at it non stop.   Even the girls in the crowd get right into the thick of it.  ITS GREAT !!!!! I can remember at times today just having to sit back, switch off, and soak it all in.   The passion the Korean crowd showed today was awesome.    Its a true pity I didnt have my camera with me today, because I would have pic'd and recorded everything just to give you an indication of what I am talking about here.   Its truely something that did have to be seen and heard to be believed. 

Heres an example.   Todays game was between 2 teams who share the same stadium.    When the game was tight today at 8-7 with LG leading, you had the Doosan crowd singing " We want Home Run ! We want home run !!! " and the LG half singing " Boooooooooooo !! " at the exact same time to drown out the noise lol.    Damn I wish I had my cam with me to record it and show it here. 

It was awesome and it really gave me a favourable opinion on Korean Baseball.   Now I really want to go and see much more of it !!!!! I have set myself an aim of getting to the 8 Korean Baseball League Stadiums this summer to catch all the action.   I now have a really crazy appetite to soak up what is not just a baseball game, but a true carnevale on a Sunday afternoon.  

Joyce kwon

I have just come across a little gem team  !!! I was actually flicking through the page here in my blog when I came across an ad for Joyce Kwon.   I am so damn glad I did !!!! Her music is awesome !!!! I have just done some reading on her from her site and it sure does look like she has used music to help her find her voice in life.   She is soulful, eclectic, and smooth, and has combined the soothing soul of Jazz and the hot sound of brazilian latin- and she does it really well !!! I know that I am going to investigate her much further and I hope that I inspire you in the blogosphere to do so too.   You can check her out here and even listen to some of her soulful Jazz     

http://joycekwon.com/

You can also listen to her here...



She sure does have her own unique style.   I think its really good because its very individual.   I am sure  you will like it as much as I do.   Please enjoy.   

LG twins - Samsung Lions Baseball

Team,

Speaking of baseball,. I was just flicking through Youtube when I found this.   Its highlights from a game l ast year between LG twins and Samsung Lions from Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.   Thanks to KMS850328 and Youtube for this....

and now for some more..... K POP !!!!!!!!!

Yes team ! I love it and I will show it ! Heres another little ditty I managed to hear in my time here.   Its called Pretty Girl and its by kara.   Sit back and enjoy !!!

tis time for Korean baseball season ... PLAY BALL !!!!!!!!!!

Hi there team !

Well yepsy I have been back in Korea now for nearly a week and last Sunday, I managed to get out and go for a little 4 hour walk around my area.   It was well, you know, your standard walk, blah, just getting to see the place and all.   I must admit I do quite like the area of Jamsil.   Its not necessarily central but it does have all the right things and amenities to keep me satisfied so I am sure to not be in any need of anything per se.  

Especially as Baseball season is here !!!!

Yep, and even more especially so as Jamsil is the home of Jamsil Stadium, the home of the Doosan Bears and LG Twins Korea Baseball League teams.   Like dude, seriously, I only live about 10 mins subway from the stadium - and the stadium also has an added bonus- its right in the vicinity of the Seoul Olympic Stadium ( yep thats the one that held the Seoul Olympics ) and the home of the SK Knights Basketball team.   You could say that its a multi purpose area purpose built for sports !!!! And if you know me, you know I loooooooove sports !!!!!

Admittedly though I am not so sure which team I am going to go for, as I still do have strong feelings for my old Samsung Lions team in Daegu.   Hmmm... but I must admit I do like the LG twins uniforms for this season !!! Blah I am not a fashiobista in any way, shape or form so maybe I will just need to stick to the Lions lol !

yeh .. that sounds like the best choice to undertake I think.  

If you want to read up on some more info on the Twins, Bears, and Korean Baseball League generally, you can search these sites...

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lgtwins.com%2F&lp=ko_en&.intl=us&fr=yfp-t-701-s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doosan_Bears

http://www.koreabaseball.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_baseball_league

yeh hehehe I can just see my summer weekend nights being put to good use now... hhehehehe.   

Yesasia.com Korean music website !

Team

I have been meaning to check this site out for a while, but have finally got around to doing it. Yesasia.com is a site dedicated to being the shopping mall for all things Japanese pop, Korean Pop and Chinese Pop. You can buy stuff here, buy sheet music, get digital stuff here, buy clothes online... You can do it all here !! its all at your fingertips ! So what are you waiting for ! GO HERE !!! DO IT !! NOW !!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO !!!!

www.yesasia.com

Back in the land of the K !!

Well team I am now back ! A little disappointed that I didnt get to travel on my Malaysian Airlines flight or get to meet beautiful Singapore girl on the plane, but I really can't complain I must say.   Yeh I eventually got to Korea this time by Qantas, and I must say that the service was pretty good.   Qantas did have a few little problems there a few years ago, but it looks like they have taken great strides to fix things and get things back into good working order again and it has shown up well I do so believe.   So, as a result of their good service and tiding, I am back here in the land of the K....

And its cold weather !!!

Like seriously team, its really really nippy here at the moment ! Its currently 7 degrees C ( 45F) and thats at 8 pm.   Trust me guys it didnt improve much in the day either ! And it was especially cold at 5.00 am this morning when I got off the plane.   I guess you could say I was getting the cold shoulder first up.  

Well from a weather standpoint anyway. 

Luckily, the airport itself was a little more welcoming.    As it should indeed be.   After all, an airport is the first port of call into a new life, a new country and a new existence for basically all travellers, and as the old adage goes, first impressions count. 

And if Incheon airport is anything to go by, they you could indeed be up for a good stay here in Korea.  

One of the first things you notice about Incheon airport when you enter the terminal is its space.   It nice and spacious and you really do have plenty of room to move should you wish to utilise it.   It may seem like quite a trivial thing, but if you have just come off a long flight and are generally tardy and looking for a decent stretch, then space is what you do need.   Its also pretty quiet in the arrivals area too.   Maybe its the space that does it, but whatever it is, its pretty good.   If you have had a long flight, then it might just be suffice to say that excessive noise when you get off the plane just might not be the first thing you wish to hear.   Its nice to gain ones bearings in quiet surrounds and Incheon certainly does provide this. 

The initial administration and entrance requirements into the country are also quite efficiently expedited also.  I think the only thing that slowed me up was just having to wait a little while to pick up my bags, but hey I was not the only one, so no real issues there I don't think. 

I think I will leave the whole arrivals thing there.   How about we go into some details about the actual airport itself.   Sounds good ?? Yes I think so. 

In Seoul, you generally have 2 major airports, Seoul Incheon and Seoul Gimpo.   Incheon is the younger one of the two, as it was opened in 2001.   Gimpo Airport was the original International Airport in Seoul, but this has now been reduced to largely domestic duties, with shuttle flights also occuring between Tokyo, Shanghai and Osaka.  

Korean Air and Asiana, the 2 major South Korean international airlines, are the major space holders at Incheon.  

Incheon airport is located to the west of Seoul, and is connected to the main CBD by the Incheon International Airport Expressway.   This expressway also connects to Gimpo domestic airport, and also allows easy access to the major connection points in Seoul itself, particularly Seoul railway station and CBD bus terminals.  

There are 2 main terminals in Seoul Airport, the main terminal and Concourse.  

The main terminal is one of the largest in the world.   You can board planes from 44 different locations in the terminal, and there are ample numbers of facilities available to accomodate the required movements, processings and other needs for travel.   

Heck, it also has a golf course, spa, indoor gardens and a sleeping area if you need them !!!!

I guess these are just some of the reasons why Seoul Airport has been voted the best in the world for the past couple of years lol.  
Pity I can't show it to you here though.   I seem to be be having issues with the Cut and paste function on the comp for the minute.  But I can direct you over to this sites here for you to have a look. 

http://www.airport.kr/eng/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon_Airport#A_Terminal

Seoul Incheon airport really is a nice place team.   You should come up here some time.    I am sure you will enjoy it and you will also find it as a really pleasant gateway and delightful little intro to your sojourn here in Korea.   

I am off to Korea with a little Epik High !!

Yep team ! I am off at 9.30 am Adelaide time tomorrow.   I am really looking forward to it !!!! I will fly from Adelaide to Sydney, then from Sydney to Hong Kong and then the red eye flight from Hong Kong to Seoul.    I would love to call all of you when I get in but hey it will be 4.45 am and I will be pretty stuffed yeh !!!  So regrettably I will refrain from calling you lol.  And any way, it will be on a Saturday Morn and well the only worse day to call is the Sunday morn hehehe !!! Its ok though I wont be drunk as I am not a drinker and even if I was I would not do it on a plane because I would get very dehydrated and all.  

Meanwhile I have some more K-pop for you and this is a song that really does capture how I am feeling at the moment .... Its by Epik High and its called One.    It starts off with " Time is tickin... Time is tickin tickin".   Yes team the time sure is tickin !!! and I am excited !! Have fun !!!!

Do you know this song ???

Hmmmm.... Whats this song team ??? I mean... I know its in Korean and all... and it is a Korean version of it... I think I have heard it before ... but I am not quite sure.... do you know it ..... hehehe .... kkk....;)



yeh it sounds familiar yeh .... I mean .... it goes.....Mahiya Hee... Mahiya Hoo....Mahiya Haa...... Mahiya Haa Haa........hahah...hahaha.....hahahahahaha .......;)