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Date: Saturday, 21 Nov 2009 05:51
Looking for something fun filled and crazy to do this Christmas season? Mandy from Santa Con Seoul gave me the heads up of their big event happening on Saturday, December 12. You on the day in question thousands of souls around the world, filled with the Christmas spirit as well as plenty of alcoholic spirits, will dress in their snazziest Christmas themed outfit and hit the streets with songs on their lips and gifts in their hands.
Now you’re outfit doesn’t have to be Santa. You can choose between any of the seasonal iconic characters. Go as a snowman or perhaps a saucy reindeer or a grumpy elf. Hey go all out and do yourself up as a Christmas tree with all the trimmings. As long as the garb fits the season you’re golden. You don’t want to be the odd man out while singing a chorus of your favorite bawdy Christmas carol, do you? And did I mention the free gifts? That’s right, while spreading the Christmas cheer you’ll be handing out free gifts to the folks in the street.
Santa Con started in
COSTUMES
She has also gone out and found a few places where you can round up some Santa costumes.
Kook Hyang They specialize in Halloween but I’m sure some Christmas stuff can be found.
Ebay (Many sellers offer free shipping to Korea-outfit and all for about $15. Make sure to use the advanced search feature: free shipping, Location Korea)
If you know of any other spots get in touch with her and she’ll add it to the list.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 12 2009
3 PM: Meet in Hongdae specific location TBD
More details coming soon…
LINKS
Facebook Santa Con Seoul
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Hongdae, Events, Holidays"
Date: Thursday, 19 Nov 2009 09:16
I love barbecue. Not only because it’s absolutely mouth watering delicious, but also because of its primal nature. Maybe all that open flame and the scent of charred burning meat draws out my inner caveman. At the very least it reminds me of the times during summer break my family would congregate in the park around smoking grills manned by the men of household. Barbecue is earthy and masculine and makes it ok for a guy to strap on an apron. So, really, what’s not to love about that?
So you can imagine my frustration when I first arrived in
Well, that question has just been answered by the godsend of Sam Ryan’s in Itaewon. It’s just what you would expect in a sports bar and grill with several big screen TVs playing nothing but sports, beer and grub all around, and a rowdy crowd lapping it all up. A friend tipped me off to the Tuesday Tailgate special where barbecue is only 500W per rib if you also buy a drink. They also mentioned that it’s so popular that if you don’t get their early the horn of plenty trumpeting this rib bone bonanza will peter out around 9 PM.
With that thought firmly in mind, my friend Ian and I rushed over this past Tuesday evening around 6 PM. Even at this early evening hour Sam Ryan’s was nearly packed. We grabbed a table, ordered, and quickly found ourselves in front of a plate piled high with the most delicious ribs I’ve had since leaving home. They came so perfectly cooked that the meat literally slipped off the bone. The ribs didn’t come slathered in barbecue sauce, to hide its flaws, like some places I’ve been to in
So if you’re hankering for some down home barbecue then by sure to head over to Sam Ryan’s. Tuesday is the night to go, but they do serve ribs every night, though not the tailgate special. You can find it above 3 Alley Pub in Itaewon just across from Scrooge’s.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Western, Itaewon, Restaurants"
Date: Tuesday, 17 Nov 2009 08:52
As an American in
Take for instance, Pepero Day, a holiday celebrated on November 11 in honor of a seemingly innocuous chocolate snack you can find in most convenience stores in
Then there’s Christmas time in
So, with that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Halloween in kimchi land doesn’t happen like it does back home. Actually it barely happens at all. Most Korean folk aren’t really big on Halloween, which is a little perplexing since it’s a holiday perfect for Koreans. I thought costumes would be embraced by the mischievous and frivolous side of the folks here and let’s not get started on the copious amounts of candy and the Korean sweet tooth (I’ve never seen so many Dunk n Donuts and Baskin Robins). Sadly, it’s just not the case. Most of the Halloween festivities are for and directed at the foreign community with a few die hard open minded Koreans thrown in the mix.
Maybe it’s because of the dearth of celebratory activities for Halloween in
Hopefully, Halloween becomes more popular in the future, but even it doesn’t there will always be a foreigner ready and willing to don that Marie Antoinette costume and hit the bars rocking a powered wig, bustle, and garters.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Holidays"
Date: Friday, 13 Nov 2009 08:41
Via Di Napoli
Crosspost with Seoul Eats
Via Di Napoli is a Napolitan Pizzeria smack dab in the middle of Gangnam near the Coex, just across the from the Lucky Seven Casino. Via Di Napoli caters to the Italian in all of us (or the part of us that loves Italian food.) It's nice to know you don’t have to go all the way to Italy to savor a piping hot pizza pie.
Once you enter the restaurant, despite its subterranean depths, it feels as if you’ve stepped into an Italian palazzo. You’ll find a wide open space with Romanesque arches and a tiled mosaic floor. The décor marries the deep browns of the furniture with the eggshell colored walls. A big open kitchen showcases the cooks prepping meals for the scurrying waiters that are continuously crisscrossing the floor. I was impressed with the authentic wood fire Italian brick pizza oven manned by a chef.
A glance at the menu reveals that pizza is the way to go at Via Di Napoli. I played it conservative and went for a "Marguerite pizza." It dazzled my taste buds with the tart tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and a thin crisp crust. Next time I won’t play it so safe. The "Mexicano Lette" with avocado, red onions, salsa, and chili pepper sounds very intriguing and so does the quirky "Nero y Bianco:" gorgonzola, mushroom pesto and mozzarella. And those are just three of the dozens of pizzas.
If for some unfathomable reason you are not in the mood for pizza, Via Di Napoli’s got your back. There’s a veritable bonanza of pasta and risotto dishes like Pasta de Mare, Bacon Carbonara, and the Seafood Fiesta Risotto. There’s even some Spanish fare with several paella dishes. The bisque chicken paella is a stand out dish with its succulent bits of chicken and eggplant. The accompanying slice of lemon and garlic sauce adds a bright spark to this dish. Pizza alternatives don’t just stop there. Other entrees include the T-bone steak and salmon as well as fresh mussels, caprese and a mélange of salads for appetizers. I recommend the Ricotta Tuscany salad which boasts apples, peaches, avocado, roasted red peppers and eggplant, and house-made ricotta cheese. Be sure to finish the evening with either a tiramisu, pine nut meringue or a black tea panna cotta.
Your trip to Via Di Napoli might not be the same as an actual stroll through the piazza del popolo, but it’s a little taste of Italy in Seoul that will leave you feeling satiated and satisfied, humming Dean Martin’s "That’s Amore."
Contact Via Di Napoli
Phone: 02-557-6736
Website: http://www.viadinapoli.co.kr/
Address: YoongJin Bldg. B1 Samsung Dong 154-10 Kangnam Gu
Directions: Samsung Station exit 5
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Gangnam, Italian, Articles"
Date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2009 21:22
So now that the article is published in the magazine it's cool to reprint it here on my website. So, folks, for those of you not in Korea with access to a Groove here is my articlce that appeared in the October issue. This is part one.
Gyeonidan
Gyeonidan Street runs across from Haebunchon and not far from Noksopyeong station. It’s a long winding road that blends the residential with the commercial into one thoroughly busy thoroughfare. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite to eat while watching the locals go about their daily business.
Leo’s Deli anchors the beginning of Gyeonidan. This quaint eatery seems unassuming from the outside except for the sign proclaiming Leo’s as being the place to find an authentic Reuben. Such a declaration has to be put to the test. Let me just say that Leo passed with flying colors, but I shouldn’t get too far ahead of myself.
Inside Leo’s Deli presents an inviting atmosphere. Frank Sinatra croons in the background. A friendly waitress with an easy smile arrives promptly to find you a seat. During peak times you may experience a bit of a wait as the space is cozy and comfortable but small. Still, like the saying goes, size truly doesn’t matter because what Leo’s Deli lacks in elbow room they make up for in their irresistible menu.
As you can imagine Leo’s has all the standards of a typical deli. Soups, salads, and sandwiches can all be had at prices ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 Won. However, Leo’s takes it a step further by offering the option of designing your own sandwich. Once you sit down the waitress presents you with a sheet so you can check off the ingredients. You choose the bread, meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments. Making a decision will be hard with choices like pastrami, corned beef, smoked ham and turkey to tempt you. Each sandwich also comes with a fresh garden salad as well as homemade potato chips.
The Reuben is a perfect handful of deliciousness. The corned beef, Swiss cheese, and Sauerkraut all blended together harmoniously. I can same the same about the smoked turkey with cheddar on a ciabatta roll. Thick slices of succulent turkey with the sharp tang of cheddar put a smile on my face. I do have to say that the Dijon mustard might be a tad overwhelming to some, but I enjoyed every bite. I went with the typical choices, but being able to design your own sandwich means one could create an unexpected pairing sure to surprise even the most adventurous.
A little further up Gyeonidan Geo’s Phillys Cheese Steak is another hot spot to grab a quick bite. The restaurant has a modern feel. Geo’s own austere black and white photos adorn gray matted walls. In the background understated music plays. You can take a seat in the main restaurant and watch as the man himself cooks up your meal in the open kitchen or, instead, find a place on the front patio or the secluded outside nook if you want a more intimate setting.
Geo, the man behind the name, is an affable easy going guy. He spent sixteen years in the American city of Philadelphia. During his time there he studied, lived, and grew to love the food and culture. When he returned to Seoul last year he noticed distinctly American East Coast foods, like Cheese Steaks, missing in the local restaurant scene. Looking to fill that void, in March 2009, the doors of Geo’s Phillys Cheese Steak opened.
As you might expect from the name Cheese Steaks are the featured item on the menu. Geo makes a hefty cheese steak with a great balance of cheese, sauce, and beef that only dazzles the taste buds but keeps the bun firm to prevent those messy sloppy Joe moments. You also have the option of adding extra toppings like mushrooms, peppers or pizza sauce. If beef just isn’t your thing you can switch things up with a chicken cheese steak or even go for a tuna salad or egg and cheese hoagie, cheeseburger or B.L.T. Sides include fries, mozzarella sticks, and chicken wings.
Geo keeps the prices affordable and the service brisk. Sandwiches start at 3,000 Won and combination plates go for 15,000 and under. On any given day you can find Geo himself behind the sizzling stove top, putting his personal touch on sandwiches. Service is prompt and courteous with a dash of panache.
To Be Continued....
Gyeonidan
Gyeonidan Street runs across from Haebunchon and not far from Noksopyeong station. It’s a long winding road that blends the residential with the commercial into one thoroughly busy thoroughfare. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite to eat while watching the locals go about their daily business.
Leo’s Deli anchors the beginning of Gyeonidan. This quaint eatery seems unassuming from the outside except for the sign proclaiming Leo’s as being the place to find an authentic Reuben. Such a declaration has to be put to the test. Let me just say that Leo passed with flying colors, but I shouldn’t get too far ahead of myself.
Inside Leo’s Deli presents an inviting atmosphere. Frank Sinatra croons in the background. A friendly waitress with an easy smile arrives promptly to find you a seat. During peak times you may experience a bit of a wait as the space is cozy and comfortable but small. Still, like the saying goes, size truly doesn’t matter because what Leo’s Deli lacks in elbow room they make up for in their irresistible menu.
As you can imagine Leo’s has all the standards of a typical deli. Soups, salads, and sandwiches can all be had at prices ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 Won. However, Leo’s takes it a step further by offering the option of designing your own sandwich. Once you sit down the waitress presents you with a sheet so you can check off the ingredients. You choose the bread, meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments. Making a decision will be hard with choices like pastrami, corned beef, smoked ham and turkey to tempt you. Each sandwich also comes with a fresh garden salad as well as homemade potato chips.
The Reuben is a perfect handful of deliciousness. The corned beef, Swiss cheese, and Sauerkraut all blended together harmoniously. I can same the same about the smoked turkey with cheddar on a ciabatta roll. Thick slices of succulent turkey with the sharp tang of cheddar put a smile on my face. I do have to say that the Dijon mustard might be a tad overwhelming to some, but I enjoyed every bite. I went with the typical choices, but being able to design your own sandwich means one could create an unexpected pairing sure to surprise even the most adventurous.
A little further up Gyeonidan Geo’s Phillys Cheese Steak is another hot spot to grab a quick bite. The restaurant has a modern feel. Geo’s own austere black and white photos adorn gray matted walls. In the background understated music plays. You can take a seat in the main restaurant and watch as the man himself cooks up your meal in the open kitchen or, instead, find a place on the front patio or the secluded outside nook if you want a more intimate setting.
Geo, the man behind the name, is an affable easy going guy. He spent sixteen years in the American city of Philadelphia. During his time there he studied, lived, and grew to love the food and culture. When he returned to Seoul last year he noticed distinctly American East Coast foods, like Cheese Steaks, missing in the local restaurant scene. Looking to fill that void, in March 2009, the doors of Geo’s Phillys Cheese Steak opened.
As you might expect from the name Cheese Steaks are the featured item on the menu. Geo makes a hefty cheese steak with a great balance of cheese, sauce, and beef that only dazzles the taste buds but keeps the bun firm to prevent those messy sloppy Joe moments. You also have the option of adding extra toppings like mushrooms, peppers or pizza sauce. If beef just isn’t your thing you can switch things up with a chicken cheese steak or even go for a tuna salad or egg and cheese hoagie, cheeseburger or B.L.T. Sides include fries, mozzarella sticks, and chicken wings.
Geo keeps the prices affordable and the service brisk. Sandwiches start at 3,000 Won and combination plates go for 15,000 and under. On any given day you can find Geo himself behind the sizzling stove top, putting his personal touch on sandwiches. Service is prompt and courteous with a dash of panache.
To Be Continued....
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Itaewon, Restaurants, Articles"
Date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2009 21:22
Here is part 2 of the Gyeondian Groove article
Just a bit further from Geo’s, around the corner and to the left, you’ll come to Hwang To. Judging by the tables full of couples and groups of friends it’s a popular place. So popular that getting a table wasn’t doable. Instead, just across the street, The Library beckoned with a 6 to 8 pm happy hour that couldn’t be passed up.
Inside The Library it’s all red and black table tops, exposed pipes, and a deconstructed disco ball on the back wall, giving the place an industrial feel.
The service was spot on, though being the only customers most likely helped. They make sure you’re taken care of and don’t hover. The Library offers wireless internet and will even take your ipod and hook it up to their sound system. There’s also a big screen TV for premier sports league games.
The menu offers standard bar snacks with a few appetizers. You can order up a Caesar salad, nachos or yellow peaches. Prices vary from 5,000Won to 10,000won. A free coffee comes with every order, but if you need something stronger. The bar has beer, wine, liqueurs, and whisky stocked.
The Library’s motto is “stay as long as you could.” So, if you do have to go then cross the street and check out Hattori Kitchen. First, right off, the space is small to the point of being cramped but from that first step inside you know it’s not your momma’s izakaya. Eighties Korean music plays in the background. Traditional Japanese masks adorn the walls along with random Polaroid pictures, calligraphy, and an array of international currencies. Hattori Kitchen definitely has an artsy vibe going on which culminates in the kinetic ball of charm and whimsy of the owner, Jiyung Sohn.
She bounces behind the long wooden sushi style bar, wide eyed and smiling, chatting away with customers while chopping vegetables and preparing dishes. After studying in Japan, she returned to Korea inspired to open her own unique izakaya. She ran into a maze of obstacles until finally securing a bank loan. Hattori Kitchen opened its doors in July of 2008 and has been welcoming customers ever since. The crowd during the week tends to be chic couples in their fifties and sixties. On the weekends twenty and thirty somethings take over.
Miss Sohn has a trendy spot perfect for an evening with friends or a date. The lively mood matches the innovative menu. Every night, except for two signature dishes, she changes the menu. On Monday you may find yourself dining on salmon herb yaki only to be sitting down to deep fried tortillas or whole steamed octopus on Tuesday. She keeps her customers surprised and, if her ever changing kaleidoscopes of dishes are as tasty as her mainstays, eager to return. The udong salad combines perfectly cooked udong noodles, shrimp, and a medley of fresh vegetables all in a sesame dressing. It’s a light, cool dish suitable for a hot summer night. The sea bream belly teriyaki makes a great accompaniment. The caramelized glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness to the moist cuts of fish. Even if you aren’t the adventurous type Hattori Kitchen’s signature dishes will leave you craving for whet your appetite to explore the more exotic dishes. Though, you’re wallet may not love you afterwards your stomach certainly will.
On Gyeondian Street fabulous restaurants await not only your first arrival but also your return visit, because one taste just isn’t enough. From simple tasty lunches to sumptuous savory dishes it’s all there for the choosing.
Leo’s Deli
Itaewon Dong (Kyung-Lidan)
658 Bonji
Tel 02-749-1210
Geo’s Phillys Cheese Steak
02-749-7173
Hwang To
749-0105
The Library
Hattori Kitchen, 225-94 Itaewong, Youngsan Gu; 011-82-02-792-1975
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Itaewon, Restaurants, Articles"
Date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2009 21:21
Thanksgiving Roundup
Cross-post with Seoul Eats
with additional information by Daniel Gray
One of the downsides of being an American abroad is that when one of our holidays rolls around you may find yourself waving the stars and stripes alone on the Fourth of July or barbecuing a single hot dog for Memorial day. This tragedy reaches new heights during a holiday like Thanksgiving. Back home we would be surrounded not only by friends and family but tables laden with delicious home cooked dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and, of course, turkey! Thankfully, for us Yankee Thanksgiving fanatics, there are options in Seoul aimed at Americans as well as anyone else that wants to join in the festivities.
Rebecca and I teamed up to deliver you this list of what’s happening so far, of course this being Korea, not all the times and dates are totally set yet. Be sure to call up the restaurants and make a reservation because most of these restaurants will be filled far in advance. But before I get into the restaurant list, let me give some options for those who want to cook their own turkey.
Costco has 7.7 kilo turkeys for sale for W80,000. You can get the rest of the fixings there too. If you lack a membership card then I recommend going to www.ezshopkorea.com. They will deliver everything to your home, for a small fee. The Hannam Mart and Haddon House also have turkeys and fixings for sale around this time. Haddon tends to be a tad cheaper than Hannam. They both have a range of different sizes of turkeys. Hannam Mart 702-3313. Haddon House 794-0511.
If you want the truly American taste then I recommend you make a friend with a military personnel. The Dragon Hill Lodge on the Yongsan Military base has fully cooked meals in the Itaewon area for military personnel (and friends.) Last year the prices ranged from 95-100 dollar. Each set is enough to feed 8 with leftovers.
The Decided:
Toque
Date: Thursday 126/11/09
Time: 6-8pm
Prices: 35,000W adults, 20,000W children
Menu: Buffet style with turkey, stuffing, salad, gravy, etc.
Note: Please RSVP
Phone: 794-3834
Address: 682-1 Hannam Dong, Yongsan Gu, Seoul
Email: toquediner@hotmail.com
Big Rock
Date: Saturday 28/11/09
Time: 6:30pm
Prices: 35,000W estimated
Menu: Buffet style dinner menu with turkey and all the trimmings.
Note: Reservations recommended
Phone: 02 539-6650
Address: Go out Gangnam Station exit 7 and make the first right and walk up the hill.
Email: info@bigrockbeer.co.kr
Chef Meili
Date: Thursday 26/11/09 and Saturday 28/11/09
Time: 5pm
Prices: 35,000W estimate
Menu: Set menu of cream soup, turkey with all the trimmings, stuffing, veggies, pumpkin pie.
Note: Reservations are required.
Phone: 02 794-7024
Address: Next to Gecko’s Terrace, across from the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon
Email: christianmeilinger@hotmail.com
Grand Hilton Seoul Hotel
Date: Thursday 26/11/09
Time: 6-9:30pm
Prices: 56,000W
Menu: Buffet style with turkey, potatoes, and combined traditional as well as international fare.
Note: Reservations are recommended.
Phone: 02 3216-5656
Address: 201-1 Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-710
Email: grandseoul@hilton.com
Renaissance Hotel Seoul
Date: Thursday 26/11/09
Time: Unspecified
Prices: 50,000W (lunch), 80,000W (dinner)
Menu: Although the specifics are undecided there will be a special Thanksgiving day set menu.
Note:
Phone: 02 555-0501
Address: 676 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu Seoul 135-915
The Undecided. These restaurants are planning to have thanksgiving, but, they haven’t decided on the date, time, or prices.
Loco Loca
Menu: Special set menu.
Note: The folks at Loco Loca definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 796-1606
Address: 116-22 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Suji’s
Note: The folks at Suji’s definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02-797-3698
Address: 34-16 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu 2nd and 3rd flr
Email: info@sujis.net
USO
Note: The folks at the USO definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving lunch. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: (82.2) 795-3028/3063
Address: #104, Galwol-Dong, Yongsan-Ku, Seoul 140-150, Korea
Email: dproch@uso.org
Gecko’s Terrace
Note: The folks at the Gecko’ Terrace definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02) 749-9425
Address: 128-5 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Email: geckosterrace@hotmail.com
COEX Intercontinental Hotel
Note: The folks at the COEX Intercontinental definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 559-7631
Address: 524 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-975
Email: seoul@interconti.com
W-Seoul Walkerhill
Note: The folks at the W-Seoul Walkerhill Hotel definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 465 2222
Address: 21 Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu 2133
Millennium Seoul Hilton
Note: The folks at the Millennium Seoul Hilton definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 317-3114
Address: Namdaemun-ro, Chung-gu Seoul 100-676
Email: Seoul@hilton.com
Cross-post with Seoul Eats
with additional information by Daniel Gray
One of the downsides of being an American abroad is that when one of our holidays rolls around you may find yourself waving the stars and stripes alone on the Fourth of July or barbecuing a single hot dog for Memorial day. This tragedy reaches new heights during a holiday like Thanksgiving. Back home we would be surrounded not only by friends and family but tables laden with delicious home cooked dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and, of course, turkey! Thankfully, for us Yankee Thanksgiving fanatics, there are options in Seoul aimed at Americans as well as anyone else that wants to join in the festivities.
Rebecca and I teamed up to deliver you this list of what’s happening so far, of course this being Korea, not all the times and dates are totally set yet. Be sure to call up the restaurants and make a reservation because most of these restaurants will be filled far in advance. But before I get into the restaurant list, let me give some options for those who want to cook their own turkey.
Costco has 7.7 kilo turkeys for sale for W80,000. You can get the rest of the fixings there too. If you lack a membership card then I recommend going to www.ezshopkorea.com. They will deliver everything to your home, for a small fee. The Hannam Mart and Haddon House also have turkeys and fixings for sale around this time. Haddon tends to be a tad cheaper than Hannam. They both have a range of different sizes of turkeys. Hannam Mart 702-3313. Haddon House 794-0511.
If you want the truly American taste then I recommend you make a friend with a military personnel. The Dragon Hill Lodge on the Yongsan Military base has fully cooked meals in the Itaewon area for military personnel (and friends.) Last year the prices ranged from 95-100 dollar. Each set is enough to feed 8 with leftovers.
The Decided:
Toque
Date: Thursday 126/11/09
Time: 6-8pm
Prices: 35,000W adults, 20,000W children
Menu: Buffet style with turkey, stuffing, salad, gravy, etc.
Note: Please RSVP
Phone: 794-3834
Address: 682-1 Hannam Dong, Yongsan Gu, Seoul
Email: toquediner@hotmail.com
Big Rock
Date: Saturday 28/11/09
Time: 6:30pm
Prices: 35,000W estimated
Menu: Buffet style dinner menu with turkey and all the trimmings.
Note: Reservations recommended
Phone: 02 539-6650
Address: Go out Gangnam Station exit 7 and make the first right and walk up the hill.
Email: info@bigrockbeer.co.kr
Chef Meili
Date: Thursday 26/11/09 and Saturday 28/11/09
Time: 5pm
Prices: 35,000W estimate
Menu: Set menu of cream soup, turkey with all the trimmings, stuffing, veggies, pumpkin pie.
Note: Reservations are required.
Phone: 02 794-7024
Address: Next to Gecko’s Terrace, across from the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon
Email: christianmeilinger@hotmail.com
Grand Hilton Seoul Hotel
Date: Thursday 26/11/09
Time: 6-9:30pm
Prices: 56,000W
Menu: Buffet style with turkey, potatoes, and combined traditional as well as international fare.
Note: Reservations are recommended.
Phone: 02 3216-5656
Address: 201-1 Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-710
Email: grandseoul@hilton.com
Renaissance Hotel Seoul
Date: Thursday 26/11/09
Time: Unspecified
Prices: 50,000W (lunch), 80,000W (dinner)
Menu: Although the specifics are undecided there will be a special Thanksgiving day set menu.
Note:
Phone: 02 555-0501
Address: 676 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu Seoul 135-915
The Undecided. These restaurants are planning to have thanksgiving, but, they haven’t decided on the date, time, or prices.
Loco Loca
Menu: Special set menu.
Note: The folks at Loco Loca definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 796-1606
Address: 116-22 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Suji’s
Note: The folks at Suji’s definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02-797-3698
Address: 34-16 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu 2nd and 3rd flr
Email: info@sujis.net
USO
Note: The folks at the USO definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving lunch. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: (82.2) 795-3028/3063
Address: #104, Galwol-Dong, Yongsan-Ku, Seoul 140-150, Korea
Email: dproch@uso.org
Gecko’s Terrace
Note: The folks at the Gecko’ Terrace definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02) 749-9425
Address: 128-5 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Email: geckosterrace@hotmail.com
COEX Intercontinental Hotel
Note: The folks at the COEX Intercontinental definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 559-7631
Address: 524 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-975
Email: seoul@interconti.com
W-Seoul Walkerhill
Note: The folks at the W-Seoul Walkerhill Hotel definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 465 2222
Address: 21 Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu 2133
Millennium Seoul Hilton
Note: The folks at the Millennium Seoul Hilton definitely have plans to host a Thanksgiving dinner. However, they have yet to finalize the menu, prices or date. They recommend contacting them closer to the big day.
Phone: 02 317-3114
Address: Namdaemun-ro, Chung-gu Seoul 100-676
Email: Seoul@hilton.com
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Restaurants, Holidays, Articles"
Date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2009 06:59
A couple weekends ago I finally made it out to Ilsan. For those of you who may not know, Ilsan is one of a few satellite cities that surround Seoul, making it like a suburb of sorts. I didn’t really know what to expect. I couldn’t picture it being like the suburbs back home with acres of strip malls, schools, churches, and Denny’s restaurants.
To reach Ilsan you can go either by subway straight up to the end of the Orange line, number 3, or you can hop on one of thousands of busses that zip throughout the city. My friend Ian and I jumped on one of those busses and made it to Ilsan in about fifty minutes. Now Ilsan is not really the name of the city, which is Goyang, and it’s been split into two sections, eastern and western, named Ilsanseo and Ilsandong.
Ilsan is like the Gangnam of the northern suburbs, full of restaurants, boutiques, and plenty of shopping opportunities. The best part of Ilsan is that it’s so freaking wide and open! It has such a different feel than Seoul. You have big wide thoroughfares and huge open spaces as well as the towering skyscrapers it’s just that there not so clustered together so you don’t feel like you’re living in concrete jungle.
Color me surprised. We immediately went out in search of fun with Ian taking the lead since Ilsan is his hood. Our first stop was La festa. It’s a huge mall with several floors and an outdoor area. Now let me mention my surprise with Ilsan reached new levels and almost caused my infatuation to falter when I laid my eyes on the sign Island Coon. From the looks it's a sort of restaurant bar. Now my better nature and general common sense believes that the signage is the result of some unfortunate vocabulary cherry picking. Koreans wouldn’t have the knowledge of this particular slur which is steeped in the cauldron of American racial prejudice. Someone probably saw the word and went oh, how cute, and presto: instant jaw dropping neon sign.
Anyway, our tour of La Festa continued to an outdoor area where a bunch of b-boys and b-girls were out doing their thing. They had a dj booth set up and the dj spun classic rap to mixed up funk as the kids popped and locked their way across the courtyard. Then we made our way over to Lake Park, Korea’s biggest man made lake. The park has all sorts of facilities for concerts, skating, biking and hiking. There’s also an arboretum and botanical garden. It’s a great spot to get your exercise on or just take a moonlit stroll with your significant other. Next, we hit up the Western Dm which is another shopping complex like La Festa. In the Dom you can find hundreds of stores, restaurants, cinemas and bars just waiting for you and your won. We ate at the Uno Pizzeria.
I know I only spent a day and a half in Ilsan, but I enjoyed it immensely. I always thought that the only city in South Korea I could live in was Seoul, even Busan didn’t have the oomph to make me reconsider my city of choice, but I’m telling you, Ilsan definitely has caught my eye. Be sure to give it a chance and take a day trip up there. You won’t regret it one instant.
Red Bus 9700 going North or the Orange Line
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Ilsan"
Date: Monday, 09 Nov 2009 06:59
Do you love beer? Not just love as in grabbing a pint after work. I’m talking about the long haul, hours of chugging with a table of empty mugs in your wake. Now that’s a true beer lover and if that’s you then boys, and girls, do I have the place for you: Ka brew.
Ka-brew is a new microbrewery in Seoul. The main attraction of the beer hall is that it’s an all you can drink beer buffet bonanza. When you walk in stop first at the nifty ticket machine. You can decide on either the straight up 10,000won beer feast, or choose the 12,000won beer and side, or the 15,000won beer, sausage and fries combo. Give your ticket to the waiter and he’ll exchange it for a beer mug. Then off you go to pour your own beer.
There’s the Korean Hite and Cass on tap as well as a Czech pilsner described as light and a German weizen which would be citrusier. A sticker happily proclaims that you can drink as much as you want. Being a beer neophyte the staff eagerly took me under their wing to explain the differences between light and dark beers as well as how to properly fill my mug by tilting it to the side.
The folks at Ka-brew also are putting together a tour at their bervwery in Sangheon near Gapyong, a city by the Bukhan river forty miles East north east of Seoul. The trip takes about ninety minutes from Chongyangni station. Once groups of about ten sign up you’ll be all set. Check out the info below for more info on the trip.
http://kapa.co.r
kegsobeer@yahoo.com
Ka-Brew on Facebook
You can find Ka-Brew on Line 4 at Miasamgeori Exit three walk straight and its on your right after the KEB bank.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Western, Bars, Drinks"
Date: Saturday, 07 Nov 2009 12:34
Recently, the NYT has taken an interest in the local Korean ecology. The article in question focuses on Bonogit Hussain, an Indian man, and Hahn Ji-seon, a female Korean friend of his whom both found themselves facing down BOA. If you’ve lived in Korea for any significant amount of time, say about a month or so, then you’ve probably spotted the public menace known as BOA. BOA is an indigenous species native to Korea. BOA is more commonly seen at night, but can also be seen during day as well. Just to ease your K-pop fears I’m not talking about the Korean pop princess now storming America. Still, it would be quite a sight to see her out and about berating foreigners while taking swigs from a bottle of soju. No, the BOA I’m referring to is the belligerent old ajusshi.
BOA can be spotted in a variety of locations: on the subway, walking the streets, or on the bus. The only true safe way to avoid a BOA while traveling the streets of Korea is in the inside of a cab. Luckily, BOA can be easily spotted by his intense head movement which tracks foreigners as they walk by. Other tell tale signs include the bug eyed stare that narrows into a steely glare as well as the pursed lips and inflamed cheeks, reddened perhaps by soju or the intense loathing boiling in his veins, one never knows for sure.
If you’re unfortunate enough to cross paths with BOA there are only two feasible options open to you. One, you can plant your feet, face the BOA eye to eye, and deliver a sharp loud rebuke in your very best Korean. The volume will be sure to attract attention from others nearby, to act as possible witnesses, as well as an audience for the BOA’s humiliation for being called out on his intolerable behavior. This tactic has been to known on rare occasions to engender a certain fondness from the BOA transforming his former prey into a newly found drinking buddy. However, I stress that is rare. The important thing when using this tactic is to be sure the rebuke is in Korean. Delivering it in English or any other tongue will only serve to infuriate BOA even further against you. For those of you without a tongue dexterous enough to handle the Korean language then there’s option number two: run like hell. Put as much distance between you and BOA as fast as you can as quickly as possible. Leave the area entirely as the BOA has been known to stalk its prey often leading to disastrous results.
The Times article notes the rise of Korea’s foreign population as impetus for the rising “incidents of xenophobia” or what I like to call Hate Crimes. BOA’s behavior has to be curtailed either through social stigma from his peers or by legal penalties enacted by the court system. Though, I think, the former would be better since it would probably go a lot further in changing BOA’s attitudes or at least keeping him quiet. It’s happening. I’ve read stories and heard tales of Koreans coming to the defense of foreigners being attacked by BOA, shooing him off. This is probably the metaphorical rap on the knuckles BOA needs to keep his actions tolerable in public spaces.
Let me end with a remark that I know not every ajusshi is a BOA. But as they say “one rotten apple can spoil the bunch.”
BOA can be spotted in a variety of locations: on the subway, walking the streets, or on the bus. The only true safe way to avoid a BOA while traveling the streets of Korea is in the inside of a cab. Luckily, BOA can be easily spotted by his intense head movement which tracks foreigners as they walk by. Other tell tale signs include the bug eyed stare that narrows into a steely glare as well as the pursed lips and inflamed cheeks, reddened perhaps by soju or the intense loathing boiling in his veins, one never knows for sure.
If you’re unfortunate enough to cross paths with BOA there are only two feasible options open to you. One, you can plant your feet, face the BOA eye to eye, and deliver a sharp loud rebuke in your very best Korean. The volume will be sure to attract attention from others nearby, to act as possible witnesses, as well as an audience for the BOA’s humiliation for being called out on his intolerable behavior. This tactic has been to known on rare occasions to engender a certain fondness from the BOA transforming his former prey into a newly found drinking buddy. However, I stress that is rare. The important thing when using this tactic is to be sure the rebuke is in Korean. Delivering it in English or any other tongue will only serve to infuriate BOA even further against you. For those of you without a tongue dexterous enough to handle the Korean language then there’s option number two: run like hell. Put as much distance between you and BOA as fast as you can as quickly as possible. Leave the area entirely as the BOA has been known to stalk its prey often leading to disastrous results.
The Times article notes the rise of Korea’s foreign population as impetus for the rising “incidents of xenophobia” or what I like to call Hate Crimes. BOA’s behavior has to be curtailed either through social stigma from his peers or by legal penalties enacted by the court system. Though, I think, the former would be better since it would probably go a lot further in changing BOA’s attitudes or at least keeping him quiet. It’s happening. I’ve read stories and heard tales of Koreans coming to the defense of foreigners being attacked by BOA, shooing him off. This is probably the metaphorical rap on the knuckles BOA needs to keep his actions tolerable in public spaces.
Let me end with a remark that I know not every ajusshi is a BOA. But as they say “one rotten apple can spoil the bunch.”
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Korea, Discrimination, News"
Date: Thursday, 05 Nov 2009 07:23
My adventures in Bucheon continued with the botanical gardens. The last time I went to a botanical was my Thanksgiving trip back home last year. My brother and I went to the Three Domes, a pit stop for every school kid in Milwaukee. Hoping to rekindle some of that childhood magic, Kalli and I stormed the Bucheon botanical gardens with high hopes.
The facilities are small, but they pack as much as they can in the three arboretums. The first is devoted to forest plants and trees, the second delves into the desert plant life and the final one is features forest flora again. Curiously all three are basically connected seamlessly which, one would think, makes it odd for temperature control for the different plant species.
One weird side note about the garden was the array of mini dolls arranged around one of the trees in the lobby. I was hoping it was some kind of fetishistic pagan ritual to some remote Korean goddess I’ve never heard of.
We literally walked through the whole place in under ten minutes. There’s also a mini museum and educational center on the premises. Outside they have a huge garden with exotic and indigenous birds. A mini zoo rounds out the sights. Along with rabbits they have monkeys, goats, and deer. I think the animals were more exciting than the botanical garden. There's also an insect museum, but we didn't check that out. At least I presume it's an insect museum because of the giant ladybug on the side of the building which only reminded me of how all the peaceful red and black lady bugs back home have been wiped out by a vicious biting orangish one that got accidentally released.
Take a loved one and go check out the gardens. Bring some goodies for the animals, though that may not be permissable, so you didn't hear that from me, but if you make it healthy then I'm sure its okay, right? Bring apples. Everything loves apples.
Bucheon Botanical Gardens
LOCATION | 381, Chunui-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si TEL | 82-32-678-0720
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Bucheon, SightSeeing, Day Trips"
Date: Tuesday, 03 Nov 2009 06:52
I have sad news to report: I broke up with my Macbook. I know, I know, you’re thinking we were so good together and that we were so happy! Well, sorry to burst that bubble but things never were really that great between the two of us. I mean, it started out fantastic. It was love at first sight. How could it not be? I just wanted to own it, and love it, and cherish it forever. As you can tell I had a tiny obsession with the Macbook.
OK, I’ll be honest. I wanted to be a Macboytoy. I did. I admit it. You know deep down you do too. You want to be one of those trendy people you see in the coffee shop window. You know the people I’m talking about: The ones sipping their double chocolate café lattes, while perusing their Itunes folders, downloading the latest Slate Political Gabfest podcast on their Ipod. I'd stalk it at Ipark or Hi-mart or any Apple Store I came across, shyly giving it a sidelong glance or circling it a few times hoping to work up the courage to purchase it, but knowing that the outrageous price put it way out of my leauge. So, I admired it from afar. Until that is I found one for sale and quickly snatched it up faster than you can say impulse buyer beware.
Yes, I’m sorry to report, that once I got my Mac home and began to use it, the hypnotizing spell of its aluminum surface broke. I realized in a few keystrokes that Macs were just too counter intuitive for my PC saturated brain. That new fangled magic mouse touch pad the Apple folks designed just felt awkward and clumsy. The two finger slide, the four finger wiggle, and the three finger circular motion just eventually devolved into one finger aimed squarely at my new Mac.
Even worse programs like my beloved Word have been mangled on Macs. Nothing is where it should be. The features I can usually do with a click have been submerged beneath a layer of menus. Sure, you might be thinking that since each iteration of office the software changes and if I can get used to that anything different on the Mac would be a snap to adjust to. Well, you would be wrong. I couldn't adjust. I glared at my new Macbook as if it had just clipped its toenails and left the nails on the floor or if it had just left its dirty clothes on the floor instead of the hamper. How was I supposed to know that after the jumping the notebook fence to the other side that it’s not that the grass isn’t as green, it’s just that it’s an artificial plastic grass like the kind they use to fill Easter Egg baskets.
For weeks my Macbook stayed on the floor beneath my desk like a puppy cowering after being scolded. Anyway, it had to go. So we broke up. I went back to my PC and I’m happy to report it happily took me back, but the problem of portability still bugged me. You see I’m not a sizest but my Dell is a bit, shall we say hefty to lug around town. I shouldn’t have to lift weights just to get the upper body strength necessary to cart my laptop around when I want to do a little writing at the local coffee shop. I needed something smaller, sexier, and good deal lighter.
So I teamed up with my friend Ian and went to Yongsan in search of a new true tech love. I immediately fell for the Samsung X420. I know it's only been a few days, but things are looking good. I don't want to jinx things, but I'm sure if you cross your fingers and hope for the best for us that it wouldn't hurt. In the end I’m quite happy and I have no regrets about my Macbook break up.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Notebooks, Shopping"
Date: Monday, 02 Nov 2009 20:05
One of the perks of being an English teacher in South Korea is that your employer will also offer housing. Arriving in a new country with an apartment already waiting for your tired bones to come trudging inside with loads of suitcases truly is a relief. How could a newcomer be expected to navigate realtors, locations, city bureaus, and all the other ins and outs of renting with the added barrier of language? I’m not sure who could do that, especially when most places want you to arrive on Monday and go straight to work on Tuesday.
However, once you’ve been in Korea for a spell it becomes more feasible to leave the proverbial nest the school provided and look for housing on you own. That’s the situation I now find myself in. I need new housing by January, so I thought I’d share the insights I learned from my Korean friend walked me patiently through the intricate maze of the Korean rental system.
Before we get into the nitty gritty nuts and bolts of how to find your own place to live I need to mention something. Unlike back home, here in Korea, most folks don’t start looking for a new place until at the earliest a month before they need to move. Crazy, right? I know! If you do start looking two and three months ahead of time realize that most realtors will just stare at you blankly and send you away with orders to come back at a more sensible time, like two weeks before you need to move. Still, I would play it safe and start looking a month before moving day.
With that out of the way the first thing to do is to know the terms bandied about when discussing renting an apartment.
1. Budongsan (부동산): This is what the realtors are called in Korea. They can be found on almost any street corner in little shops with huge maps on the wall. These folks will be the people you primarily deal with. He should registered with the government and have a license. Make sure you see it to know he’s legit.
2. Pyeong (평). Back home we do square feet, here they do pyeong. Trust me you don’t want to live in something that’s 10 pyeong. I did and it’s not pretty. To compare, Wikipedia says a pyeong is equal to 3.3 square meters or 35 square feet.
3. Cheungsu (층 수). This is the term for floor which is important when there might not be an elevator. Plus, most women I know don’t want to be on the first floor or deal with a basement apartment.
Ok, you’re armed with some terminology and think you’re ready to kick some apartment booty. Hold fast, my friend, you’re not quite ready yet! You still have to figure out how you’re going to pay for your housing and exactly what type of housing you may be interested in. Read on!
Types of Options
Unlike back home, Korea has a few different options when it comes to apartment hunting.
1. Buy. That’s right, buy that sucker. I’m sure if you’re in the position to buy your own apartment here in Korea you’re probably not reading this.
2. Cheonsae (전세). This is where you put down a huge chunk of money. I’m talking 100,000,000W, but with the bonus that you will pay no rent. The landlord gets his money by investing yours. When your lease is over you get your money back.
3. wolsae (월 세). This is where you pay a deposit and monthly rent. Usually for each 10,000,000W you can scrap up you’ll knock 100,000W off your rent. Nifty! Some places will lower the “bojeung geum” (re: deposit) in exchange for higher monthly rent and vice versa.
4. Kalse (칼 세). You may not want to hear it, because it’s bad news. With this option you are basically paying the entire amount of the lease up front. That means if you have a 1 year lease you are forking over 12 months worth of rent. Of course that means you’re not paying it every month either but how feasible is that?
Types of Housing
Houses
Not really what most ESL teachers are looking for. If you want an actual house prepare to shell out big bucks or call your rich sugar daddy or sugar momma.
Apartments
Now this might seem like a good place to start looking but first you should know something about apartments in Korea. They’re like little cities. Apartment complexes include a handful of huge monolithic buildings clustered around a small park with post offices, grocery stores, and other places right on the premises or close by. Korean families love their apartments and you won’t find too many foreigners living there mostly because of the high prices or rent or because they may want you to buy the apartment outright.
Officetels
Love them! Officetels are high rise buildings usually for students, single workers, or those with an on the go single life style. These places are not that big, but they are nice. They come with all the amenities designed for maximum efficiency with refrigerator, cabinets, and washing machine, all discretely part of the wall or something to that effect. Convenience stores, shops, restaurants, can usually be found in the building or close by. Some are even connected to the subway station. One thing to consider is that Officetels, like apartments, have building fees (maintenance) which are included in the utility fees you pay.
Villas
Villas are usually older buildings a few stories high. They may or may not come with an elevator. They don’t have all the nifty perks of apartment or officetel life.
Now that that’s out of the way the next step is to figure out just where you want to live. Since I’m in Seoul and plant to stay there that means I need to find a neighborhood that I like and that’s, hopefully, close to work. A good way to do this in Seoul is by subway station. I still haven’t completely decided on one location, but that’s OK. I can proceed and just factor in more time to see more places in more than one area. You can to!
Some people have suggested using online sites, but my Korean friend advised against it. He thinks the pictures will not be of the places the realtor will show you and that it’s just a waste of time. The best bet is to just go to the realtor agency and see the places in person. However, since most of these online sites list prices it is a good way to judge how much the rent is going in a particular area. Some of the online rental agencies are:
Speed Bank
Eden Realty
Near Subway
House Hunting
Onnuri Real Estate
Short Rent
Green Real Estate
Seoul Realty
Speaking of doing things online you can also check out the following resources that list available places but are not actual agencies.
English Spectrum
Craigslist
Naver
Ok, you’ve got your neighborhood picked, good running shoes on, and a Korean friend to help you with those Lost in Translation moments. Good. Now you’re set to hit the streets and go into as many Budongsans as you can find. Why not hit just one? Well, just like back home realtors have a list they work from. An apartment not on the list of one realtor may be on the list of a second or third realtor. Some of these guys and gals don’t play nice and may not want to share a fee by steering you to the competition so just hit as many as you can.
Be sure to let your realtor know of any preconditions you have for the type of place you want to move into. Can’t think of any? Well, here are some helpful tips to think about when looking for that new bachelor pad.
1. Have a budget in mind. Sure those hi-rise penthouse lofts are nifty but are you really moving in there? Don’t your time or the realtor’s time.
2. Have the size in mind. Do you want a 1 bedroom or a studio? Do you need two bathrooms? Narrow this stuff down before hand if you can.
3. Furnishings. Some places come furnished. Some do not. Find out. You don’t want to move in thinking everything is set only to find out the air con, washing machine, bed, couch, TV, and refrigerator you saw before are long gone.
4. Age of the building. Newer buildings have modern conveniences built in. Tell the realtor you only want to see buildings no older than six years ago.
Now when you’re out and about with the realtor looking at places don’t take the first thing he or she shows you. My friend cautioned that realtors will show you the places they want to get rid of first. These are usually crap holes that no one wants to rent. Hopefully, you’re list has bypassed that but just in case be on guard.
Be prepared for the long haul. Sure, you may find that dream place on the first couple visits, but be ready to look at ten or more places at least. Treat your friend to a nice meal for the help they’re giving you. Oh, and when you do find your dream pad there are some things you need to know about.
1. Realtor fee. Yup, no one is helping you out the kindness of their heart.
2. Penalties. Just in case you can’t live up to the contract know what the penalties are for ending it early.
3. Liens, collateral, debt oh my! Does the owner have outstanding liens on his property? Is it even his property? A good realtor will have this information for you.
I hope this helps in the great apartment hunt! If you have any insight, comments, or suggestions to add please leave a comment and I’ll add it!
However, once you’ve been in Korea for a spell it becomes more feasible to leave the proverbial nest the school provided and look for housing on you own. That’s the situation I now find myself in. I need new housing by January, so I thought I’d share the insights I learned from my Korean friend walked me patiently through the intricate maze of the Korean rental system.
Before we get into the nitty gritty nuts and bolts of how to find your own place to live I need to mention something. Unlike back home, here in Korea, most folks don’t start looking for a new place until at the earliest a month before they need to move. Crazy, right? I know! If you do start looking two and three months ahead of time realize that most realtors will just stare at you blankly and send you away with orders to come back at a more sensible time, like two weeks before you need to move. Still, I would play it safe and start looking a month before moving day.
With that out of the way the first thing to do is to know the terms bandied about when discussing renting an apartment.
1. Budongsan (부동산): This is what the realtors are called in Korea. They can be found on almost any street corner in little shops with huge maps on the wall. These folks will be the people you primarily deal with. He should registered with the government and have a license. Make sure you see it to know he’s legit.
2. Pyeong (평). Back home we do square feet, here they do pyeong. Trust me you don’t want to live in something that’s 10 pyeong. I did and it’s not pretty. To compare, Wikipedia says a pyeong is equal to 3.3 square meters or 35 square feet.
3. Cheungsu (층 수). This is the term for floor which is important when there might not be an elevator. Plus, most women I know don’t want to be on the first floor or deal with a basement apartment.
Ok, you’re armed with some terminology and think you’re ready to kick some apartment booty. Hold fast, my friend, you’re not quite ready yet! You still have to figure out how you’re going to pay for your housing and exactly what type of housing you may be interested in. Read on!
Types of Options
Unlike back home, Korea has a few different options when it comes to apartment hunting.
1. Buy. That’s right, buy that sucker. I’m sure if you’re in the position to buy your own apartment here in Korea you’re probably not reading this.
2. Cheonsae (전세). This is where you put down a huge chunk of money. I’m talking 100,000,000W, but with the bonus that you will pay no rent. The landlord gets his money by investing yours. When your lease is over you get your money back.
3. wolsae (월 세). This is where you pay a deposit and monthly rent. Usually for each 10,000,000W you can scrap up you’ll knock 100,000W off your rent. Nifty! Some places will lower the “bojeung geum” (re: deposit) in exchange for higher monthly rent and vice versa.
4. Kalse (칼 세). You may not want to hear it, because it’s bad news. With this option you are basically paying the entire amount of the lease up front. That means if you have a 1 year lease you are forking over 12 months worth of rent. Of course that means you’re not paying it every month either but how feasible is that?
Types of Housing
Houses
Not really what most ESL teachers are looking for. If you want an actual house prepare to shell out big bucks or call your rich sugar daddy or sugar momma.
Apartments
Now this might seem like a good place to start looking but first you should know something about apartments in Korea. They’re like little cities. Apartment complexes include a handful of huge monolithic buildings clustered around a small park with post offices, grocery stores, and other places right on the premises or close by. Korean families love their apartments and you won’t find too many foreigners living there mostly because of the high prices or rent or because they may want you to buy the apartment outright.
Officetels
Love them! Officetels are high rise buildings usually for students, single workers, or those with an on the go single life style. These places are not that big, but they are nice. They come with all the amenities designed for maximum efficiency with refrigerator, cabinets, and washing machine, all discretely part of the wall or something to that effect. Convenience stores, shops, restaurants, can usually be found in the building or close by. Some are even connected to the subway station. One thing to consider is that Officetels, like apartments, have building fees (maintenance) which are included in the utility fees you pay.
Villas
Villas are usually older buildings a few stories high. They may or may not come with an elevator. They don’t have all the nifty perks of apartment or officetel life.
Now that that’s out of the way the next step is to figure out just where you want to live. Since I’m in Seoul and plant to stay there that means I need to find a neighborhood that I like and that’s, hopefully, close to work. A good way to do this in Seoul is by subway station. I still haven’t completely decided on one location, but that’s OK. I can proceed and just factor in more time to see more places in more than one area. You can to!
Some people have suggested using online sites, but my Korean friend advised against it. He thinks the pictures will not be of the places the realtor will show you and that it’s just a waste of time. The best bet is to just go to the realtor agency and see the places in person. However, since most of these online sites list prices it is a good way to judge how much the rent is going in a particular area. Some of the online rental agencies are:
Speed Bank
Eden Realty
Near Subway
House Hunting
Onnuri Real Estate
Short Rent
Green Real Estate
Seoul Realty
Speaking of doing things online you can also check out the following resources that list available places but are not actual agencies.
English Spectrum
Craigslist
Naver
Ok, you’ve got your neighborhood picked, good running shoes on, and a Korean friend to help you with those Lost in Translation moments. Good. Now you’re set to hit the streets and go into as many Budongsans as you can find. Why not hit just one? Well, just like back home realtors have a list they work from. An apartment not on the list of one realtor may be on the list of a second or third realtor. Some of these guys and gals don’t play nice and may not want to share a fee by steering you to the competition so just hit as many as you can.
Be sure to let your realtor know of any preconditions you have for the type of place you want to move into. Can’t think of any? Well, here are some helpful tips to think about when looking for that new bachelor pad.
1. Have a budget in mind. Sure those hi-rise penthouse lofts are nifty but are you really moving in there? Don’t your time or the realtor’s time.
2. Have the size in mind. Do you want a 1 bedroom or a studio? Do you need two bathrooms? Narrow this stuff down before hand if you can.
3. Furnishings. Some places come furnished. Some do not. Find out. You don’t want to move in thinking everything is set only to find out the air con, washing machine, bed, couch, TV, and refrigerator you saw before are long gone.
4. Age of the building. Newer buildings have modern conveniences built in. Tell the realtor you only want to see buildings no older than six years ago.
Now when you’re out and about with the realtor looking at places don’t take the first thing he or she shows you. My friend cautioned that realtors will show you the places they want to get rid of first. These are usually crap holes that no one wants to rent. Hopefully, you’re list has bypassed that but just in case be on guard.
Be prepared for the long haul. Sure, you may find that dream place on the first couple visits, but be ready to look at ten or more places at least. Treat your friend to a nice meal for the help they’re giving you. Oh, and when you do find your dream pad there are some things you need to know about.
1. Realtor fee. Yup, no one is helping you out the kindness of their heart.
2. Penalties. Just in case you can’t live up to the contract know what the penalties are for ending it early.
3. Liens, collateral, debt oh my! Does the owner have outstanding liens on his property? Is it even his property? A good realtor will have this information for you.
I hope this helps in the great apartment hunt! If you have any insight, comments, or suggestions to add please leave a comment and I’ll add it!
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Daily Living"
Date: Sunday, 01 Nov 2009 05:14
Hello,
I'm studying in Korea for 2 months now, I really love it, and your blog is one of the references for living here as a foreigner.
So first, thank you for doing this so smartly !
I just have a question because today I saw again this tv advertisement for the Penstyle-Olympus camera, with the white woman getting erotically rubbed with ink.
I just love the song (think it's german) of this ad, but I couldn't find the title or reference so far...
On the site http://penstyle.co.kr/ we can watch the video (in Pen : Adds) but i don't see any music reference (loosy korean abilities maybe).
I guess you're not supposed to be some big korean culture encyclopeadia, but do you have any idea how to find this music ?
thanks a lot.
Thanks for tuning in. I'm not entirely sure about the song, I haven't heard it before and can't really place, but hopefully someone reading this has heard it or know of it? So what's the word, gang? Can any readers out there lend a hand and drop the name of this song?
I'm studying in Korea for 2 months now, I really love it, and your blog is one of the references for living here as a foreigner.
So first, thank you for doing this so smartly !
I just have a question because today I saw again this tv advertisement for the Penstyle-Olympus camera, with the white woman getting erotically rubbed with ink.
I just love the song (think it's german) of this ad, but I couldn't find the title or reference so far...
On the site http://penstyle.co.kr/ we can watch the video (in Pen : Adds) but i don't see any music reference (loosy korean abilities maybe).
I guess you're not supposed to be some big korean culture encyclopeadia, but do you have any idea how to find this music ?
thanks a lot.
Thanks for tuning in. I'm not entirely sure about the song, I haven't heard it before and can't really place, but hopefully someone reading this has heard it or know of it? So what's the word, gang? Can any readers out there lend a hand and drop the name of this song?
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Email"
Date: Saturday, 31 Oct 2009 10:31
So, it's been a few weeks since the fall season started and the time has come to do a quick round up of what I've been watching. Really, the pickings were few since I'm not a big fan of serious looking crime scene investigators or shagging hospital staffers. Still, I managed to find a few shows to tune into and give a go. Here's the rundown!
Eastwick
Yeah, I know, but don’t roll your eyes at me like that. I’m being serious here. Eastwick percolates with whimsy, wit and woman power. The series, based on John Updike’s book The Witches of Eastwick, stars Jaime Ray Newman, Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price as three very different women who come together in a magical moment of happenstance when they each make a wish at the local fountain.
This mutual wishing brings out their inherent magical abilities. Romijn’s Roxy is the blond bombshell bohemian artist with newly discovered clairvoyant powers. Price plays Joanna, a mousy brunette news reporter who uncovers her hidden mantrap powers. Newman rounds out the cast as red headed Kat the warm hearted but overworked mother, wife, and nurse. Their magical awakening also summons the dashing playboy millionaire Darryl Van Horne into town to beguile and bedevil the trio.
The ladies all work well together. Yeah, at times it seems as if character is being subsumed for snappy dialogue, but I think the series will improve and more depth will be uncovered. As it is Eastwick is a light hearted fun affair like the love child of Sex and the City and Charmed just without a dead Shannen Doherty, but we can hope for guest appearances!
Vampire Diaries
Finally, the CW gets its act together and puts on something that I can actually stomach. Usually I’m the first to decry any amount of teen angst, especially when the cast comes prepackaged in waspish clones that could be dropped into any drama on that network and the audience wouldn’t know the difference. I swear the CW lost any meaning of the world diversity. In any case they got some help with Vampire Diaries in the form of writer Kevin Willamson of Dawson’s Creek fame to give the show some necessary bite. Vampire Diaries is what Twilight should have been: a tumultuous teenage roller coaster triangle love affair between two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, and high school misfit Elena. Don’t tune in if you’re expecting Buffy 2.0 because VD comes nowhere close. Instead, accept it as a welcome break from the Twilight nonsense and stepping stone into the true vampire seductiveness of True Blood.
The Cleveland Show
The newly spawned brainchild from animated TV show creator Seth Mcfarlane comes in the form of a spin off. Joining the Mcfarlane family of Family Guy and American Dad is The Cleveland Show. The animated sitcom focuses on Cleveland Brown and his son Cleveland Jr. as they leave Cohog. Cleveland settles back into his hometown in Virginia and marries his high school sweetheart Donna. Complications ensue with Donna’s boy crazy daughter Roberta and womanizing little toddler, Rallo. There’s also a bear living down the street doing his best to keep his wife from learning of his smoking habit and a hillbilly single father across the road with a teenage son. Laughs are few and far between, but it is better than most sitcoms on TV. Cleveland, no matter how lovable, just doesn’t seem to be able to generate enough interest as the lead character. Who knows, that may change or perhaps another character will take off instead like Homer did on the Simpsons. It’s still worth watching though!
V
By now if you’ve been reading KMK for awhile you probably know that I’m a total Sci-Fi Fantasy whore. Slap some pointed ears or a shiny metallic costume on someone, throw a few laser guns or magic arrows in the mix and I’m a happy guy. So you can imagine that when I learned one of my beloved sci-fi miniseries from the eighties was making a return for the fall season lineup I almost wet myself. For those not born in the eighties or just out of the sci-fi loop let me explain. You see V is all about the coming of an alien race to the world and what it means for man kind. I don’t want to give to much away, but if they do it right the whole experience will be a rip roaring adventure through sci fi fantasy heaven. This time around though I’m waiting for the unexpected twists and turns the writers take to differentiate it from the old series. Trust, you don’t want to miss this.
Flash Forward
Move over Lost, here comes Flash Forward. With the enigmatic Lost finally coming to an end in the spring, ABC has gone into overdrive to find a replacement. It looks like Flash is it. Just like Lost it deals with mystery wrapped in implausibility and dunked in a healthy dose of unreality which makes it perfect for me! In the world of Flash forward everyone has simultaneously blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. That’s strange enough, but during that blackout it seems everyone got a glimpse six months into their future. The show focuses on how they try to change or not change what’s going to happen to them. The show has lots of promise and, even better, it stars the delectable John Cho. Who could pass that up?
The Beautiful Life
If Top Model isn’t enough to satisfy your bickering model fix, then hold on to your remotes because the CW is brining you The Beautiful Life. It’s a drama focusing on the unseemly side of the modeling world where stunning, emaciated beauties battle it out tooth and nail to make it to the top. So, really it’s just like Top Model only with actual models. The series stars Mischa Barton as a former top model clawing her way back up to the heights of fame and fortune. This show definitely goes on the guilty pleasure list, or it would have, but it was just cancelled by the CW.
Eastwick
Yeah, I know, but don’t roll your eyes at me like that. I’m being serious here. Eastwick percolates with whimsy, wit and woman power. The series, based on John Updike’s book The Witches of Eastwick, stars Jaime Ray Newman, Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price as three very different women who come together in a magical moment of happenstance when they each make a wish at the local fountain.
This mutual wishing brings out their inherent magical abilities. Romijn’s Roxy is the blond bombshell bohemian artist with newly discovered clairvoyant powers. Price plays Joanna, a mousy brunette news reporter who uncovers her hidden mantrap powers. Newman rounds out the cast as red headed Kat the warm hearted but overworked mother, wife, and nurse. Their magical awakening also summons the dashing playboy millionaire Darryl Van Horne into town to beguile and bedevil the trio.
The ladies all work well together. Yeah, at times it seems as if character is being subsumed for snappy dialogue, but I think the series will improve and more depth will be uncovered. As it is Eastwick is a light hearted fun affair like the love child of Sex and the City and Charmed just without a dead Shannen Doherty, but we can hope for guest appearances!
Vampire Diaries
Finally, the CW gets its act together and puts on something that I can actually stomach. Usually I’m the first to decry any amount of teen angst, especially when the cast comes prepackaged in waspish clones that could be dropped into any drama on that network and the audience wouldn’t know the difference. I swear the CW lost any meaning of the world diversity. In any case they got some help with Vampire Diaries in the form of writer Kevin Willamson of Dawson’s Creek fame to give the show some necessary bite. Vampire Diaries is what Twilight should have been: a tumultuous teenage roller coaster triangle love affair between two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, and high school misfit Elena. Don’t tune in if you’re expecting Buffy 2.0 because VD comes nowhere close. Instead, accept it as a welcome break from the Twilight nonsense and stepping stone into the true vampire seductiveness of True Blood.
The Cleveland Show
The newly spawned brainchild from animated TV show creator Seth Mcfarlane comes in the form of a spin off. Joining the Mcfarlane family of Family Guy and American Dad is The Cleveland Show. The animated sitcom focuses on Cleveland Brown and his son Cleveland Jr. as they leave Cohog. Cleveland settles back into his hometown in Virginia and marries his high school sweetheart Donna. Complications ensue with Donna’s boy crazy daughter Roberta and womanizing little toddler, Rallo. There’s also a bear living down the street doing his best to keep his wife from learning of his smoking habit and a hillbilly single father across the road with a teenage son. Laughs are few and far between, but it is better than most sitcoms on TV. Cleveland, no matter how lovable, just doesn’t seem to be able to generate enough interest as the lead character. Who knows, that may change or perhaps another character will take off instead like Homer did on the Simpsons. It’s still worth watching though!
V
By now if you’ve been reading KMK for awhile you probably know that I’m a total Sci-Fi Fantasy whore. Slap some pointed ears or a shiny metallic costume on someone, throw a few laser guns or magic arrows in the mix and I’m a happy guy. So you can imagine that when I learned one of my beloved sci-fi miniseries from the eighties was making a return for the fall season lineup I almost wet myself. For those not born in the eighties or just out of the sci-fi loop let me explain. You see V is all about the coming of an alien race to the world and what it means for man kind. I don’t want to give to much away, but if they do it right the whole experience will be a rip roaring adventure through sci fi fantasy heaven. This time around though I’m waiting for the unexpected twists and turns the writers take to differentiate it from the old series. Trust, you don’t want to miss this.
Flash Forward
Move over Lost, here comes Flash Forward. With the enigmatic Lost finally coming to an end in the spring, ABC has gone into overdrive to find a replacement. It looks like Flash is it. Just like Lost it deals with mystery wrapped in implausibility and dunked in a healthy dose of unreality which makes it perfect for me! In the world of Flash forward everyone has simultaneously blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. That’s strange enough, but during that blackout it seems everyone got a glimpse six months into their future. The show focuses on how they try to change or not change what’s going to happen to them. The show has lots of promise and, even better, it stars the delectable John Cho. Who could pass that up?
The Beautiful Life
If Top Model isn’t enough to satisfy your bickering model fix, then hold on to your remotes because the CW is brining you The Beautiful Life. It’s a drama focusing on the unseemly side of the modeling world where stunning, emaciated beauties battle it out tooth and nail to make it to the top. So, really it’s just like Top Model only with actual models. The series stars Mischa Barton as a former top model clawing her way back up to the heights of fame and fortune. This show definitely goes on the guilty pleasure list, or it would have, but it was just cancelled by the CW.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Back Home, Pop Culture, TV"
Date: Thursday, 29 Oct 2009 21:24
Okay, you decide. My friend Cleo found this on youtube and I just had to post it! So, without further comment until after you've watched the vid.
Um, yeah, so what do you think? Okay, it's not like Koreans don't love their chicken. I mean there are so many chicken places on every street corner that you'd think they practically invented fried chicken. You can't walk a block without seeing a chicken place packed with Koreans getting their grub down.
I'm not disparging them, heck, it's good, if a little hazardous for the health, but I can't think of a single group of people who don't eat chicken. It's such a stupid stereotype. Then there's the whole deal with the cannibals! Talk about stereotyping. At least they could have had the Korean guy sharing the chicken in the end like you know he wanted to. Plus those are some pretty hefty cannibals. No way do I believe those cannibals would be that big from eating bony Korean guys.
What do you all think?
Um, yeah, so what do you think? Okay, it's not like Koreans don't love their chicken. I mean there are so many chicken places on every street corner that you'd think they practically invented fried chicken. You can't walk a block without seeing a chicken place packed with Koreans getting their grub down.
I'm not disparging them, heck, it's good, if a little hazardous for the health, but I can't think of a single group of people who don't eat chicken. It's such a stupid stereotype. Then there's the whole deal with the cannibals! Talk about stereotyping. At least they could have had the Korean guy sharing the chicken in the end like you know he wanted to. Plus those are some pretty hefty cannibals. No way do I believe those cannibals would be that big from eating bony Korean guys.
What do you all think?
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Discrimination, Video, Food, TV"
Date: Thursday, 29 Oct 2009 21:23
On the heels of the last commercial post a reader pointed me to a thread on an esl community website that featured the gem below.
Now the majority of the thread thought the commercial to be insensitive at best and racist at worst with most, it seems, leaning toward the racist side. What do you think?
Now the majority of the thread thought the commercial to be insensitive at best and racist at worst with most, it seems, leaning toward the racist side. What do you think?
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Notebooks, Discrimination, Video, TV"
Date: Tuesday, 27 Oct 2009 19:33
Vacationing in Phuket offers travelers a number of different activities to enjoy. You don’t have to spend the entire day relaxing on the beach, though that’s a worthy option if you care to do so. However, if you have more energy than it takes to bring the pina colada to your mouth then you may want to check out some of the other distractions about the island.
I heard rave things about Simon’s Cabaret. Somehow, though, I never made it over to the lady boy show. Day trips about with excursions to Koh Phi Phi. However, what I went in for was the all in one safari adventure which combines several outdoor activities into one fun filled day.
I chose the full day option, but if you feel that’s too much then you can go for a half day instead. My guesthouse suggested the tour company. There are dozens of places and pretty much all of them do the same thing at about the same prices. After scheduling my trip the folks picked me up at my guesthouse on the day in question. They whisked me off to a rendezvous point where I met up with other trip goers and climbed onto the big tour bus.
We sped off to a place that I like to call the compound where all the activities were to take place on their private grounds. First up was an elephant trek. They piled us on one after another onto the backs of waiting pachyderms. The trek took only about fifteen minutes. An extra 100 Baht got me a bunch of bananas to feed the elephants as well as a quick photo op then we were off to the oxen. They loaded us up on a cart and moments later the oxen tugged us around in a big circle. Not as much fun as the elephants and a bit lame, but the ride did feel a bit like the thrill of bumper cars.
Next up were the atvs. We hopped on after signing a few accident release forms and sped off down the course. We were only allowed a couple laps, but it was enough to get an adrenaline kick. After that the elephant/monkey show started. No, it’s not some perverted sex show it was a lighthearted and funny performance. Barnum and Bailey’s should be taking notes on this act. The elephants were adorable and the monkey had a spunky attitude that deserved a NBC sitcom.
After all the animal wackiness they piled us up again and shipped us off to the river. There we had a brisk lunch. After which they strapped the life vests onto us and shoved us into boats for the whitewater rafting portion of the trip. I didn’t think it would be as treacherous as it turned out to be. I didn’t know about the dam they keep, waiting to unleash a torrent of water upon the unsuspecting. I can’t count how many times I almost flew out of the raft, or dashed my head against a rock, or was almost beheaded by a hanging tree limb. Good times! At the end of the rafting trip we hiked up a trail to check out a waterfall. It was great. We splashed in the water like little kids.
That proved to be the end of the trip. A bus ride back into phuket town and then a speedy tuk tuk to patong beach ended an exhausting but fun day.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Phuket"
Date: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009 21:28
Every year in Seoul KOTESOL organization holds a conference to increase the knowledge and skills of esl instructors throughout Korea. The tag line is that they Pursuing Professional Excellence in ELT. Straight from the KOTESOL website:
Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is a professional organization for teachers of English. Our main goals are to assist members in their self-development, and improve ELT in Korea. KOTESOL allows teachers to connect with others in the ELT community and find teaching resources in Korea and abroad through KOTESOL publications, conferences and symposia, and chapter meetings and workshops.
Membership is open to anyone in the esl field in Korea from elementary school to university teachers as well as educational directors, writers, or administrators. This year the conference is on October 24 and 25th at Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea.
The conference presents a great opportunity to brush up on your teaching skills, learn new techniques, methodologies, and classroom tactics. Some of the presentations include Active Grammar in Context, Slang and Idioms in Conversation Classes, Improving Cultural Awareness of African Americans in the EFL classroom, Integrating learning strategies into Class, and that’s just a few of the many different seminars you can attend.
Hope to see you there!
Directions
Please direct Conference Program-related inquiries to the Program Cmte: kotesol.program@yahoo.com
Please direct all General Inquiries concerning the conference to: kotesol_ic09@yahoo.com
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "esl, Conventions, Education"
Date: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009 21:21
What is the Nike Human Race? Well according to the folks at Nike...
On 08.31.08, Nike is making a statement like no other before. Nike is putting on
the World’s Largest Running Event. The 10k event will be the ultimate runner
experience. By combining our digital running world with the physical, the Nike+
Human Race is open to anyone, anywhere. Nike is hosting race events in 25 cities
around the world, but by logging into nikeplus.com, every city and every road
can become a race-day course.
Awesome, right? So the Seoul race is taking place this saturday, October 24th, Race starts at 4:00, concert starts at 5:30. KRW 20,000 entrance fee, and race to take place at Yeouido Culture Park.
After youu register you're sent a package in the mail with your Tshirt and stuff, then you're all set for the big race. Of course, since it's almost Friday I'm probably telling you this a bit too late. You can try to show up in person and register on site though.
Author: "Phoenixstorm (kissmykimchi@gmail.com)" Tags: "Health, Charity, Fitness, Seoul"
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