September 2009

As you all know, I am back in Korea. I arrived about a month ago and have already started getting back into the swing of things. This trip will be different though...I plan on making my time here well-spent. A lot of the free time I have during the day has been devoted to fitness...I've started running again and some basic strength training, usually because I am bored. I have also been watching a lot of TV on the internet. Yikes.

I am also awaiting my first paycheck. I thought about it the other day, and I haven't gotten a paycheck in about 3 months! How is that possible? Lots of help from friends and family.

I'm planning on seeing more of Korea this time. I went to Busan once and Gangwon-do three times in the entire 2.5 years I was here before. Since I'm trying to save money this time, my travel bug will have to settle for domestic trips, which I am happy to take. Apparently there is some pretty amazing stuff here. Go figure.

Anyway, I have been doing things lately that I had forgotten about...unique experiences only in Korea. And since I already wrote a mass e-mail about most of these things, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Red peppers drying on a bridge overlooking the Tancheon.

This kimchi stew is in contention for my favorite Korean food EVER. The kimchi is buried in the ground in clay pots and ferments for 3 years. Sound disgusting? Makes for some amazing food.

I got to hang out with my friend Jay (who apparently loves Popeye) and his friends from high school.

Korean bar food is very different than American bar food. And you can get it at all hours of the night.

Like...barbecue squid.

...and seafood soup.

Maehwasu...Korean lady liquor. It's very dainty.

Cass lemon. Cass is terrible, Cass lemon is no exception.

Sam gyeop sal! YUM!

Kyelin chim...fluffy egg soup.

Kim McJong Il!

Here my friend Tina and I are having the dead skin on our feet and legs eaten by tiny little fish. It feels really crazy at first, but then you get used to it. Sometimes they even went in between toes.

At Castle Praha brewery in Gangnam, they had these decorative pigs for sale.

We went to Rainbow Hookah bar...one of my faves from before!

This was on the inside.

My dinner...Mr. Wow spicy sausage on a stick...with mustard! (Street food in Korea! AWESOME!)

There was a concert in Korea last night, called Global Gathering. I didn't really care about this concert, not a fan of electronic music, but my one of my favorite bands, Royksopp was in the lineup! Tina and I decided to...ahem...loiter outside of the grounds to hear the music. For free. We had to walk to Nanji park from World Cup Stadium and a nice Korean girl gave us directions...in Korean. If I had been able to understand, I think she was saying "But guys, you're going to have to walk for like...an hour." Here is the riverwalk by the Hapjeong River (which eventually...a long way down the road...flows into the Han River). It was a really pleasant night and we ended up making it for the last half hour of their set!

Character of a Japanese Izakaya in Hongdae.

There is a mini-bar called "Vinyl" that offers to-go cocktails in little plastic pouches.

I got a vodka lime!

Tina karaoke...with Tina!

Cute little owl bar.

Ok! That's it! My next post will most likely be after Chu Seok...we are planning on going to the East Coast, to Mt. Seoraksan for some hiking!