Patagonian toothfish

After eating moksal (pig neck) at a friend's restaurant another friend and I headed off to an izakaya (Japanese style bar) for some beer and more food. Korea is great for giving "service-uh", which is basically free stuff. Sometimes it comes with the meal, other times they give it to you because you are an incredibly handsome expat (well, I like to think that is why). After going out with Koreans, from what they say, service-uh happens more when they are with me then when they are just with Koreans! Yata!!

service

One unfortunate thing about many Korean (and Japanese) bars is that you have to order food if you want to drink. I have gone to empty bars where they refused us service because we only wanted to drink. I guess no money is better than a little money. Often you may see Koreans eating large platters of mixed fruit with their beer, or possibly steamed silk warm larvae! Yum!! On this particular night we ordered maelo 메로 (Patagonian tooth fish) which tasted like an oily halibut and was oh so delicious (if not a bit scary looking!) This particular restaurant serves whale on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I don't recommend it, it doesn't taste very good. How did Korea escape international condemnation in regards to whaling?

a much friendlier looking toothfish

On the way home I saw this advertisement for something or other. I just like his hat! My camera seemed to think it was strange as well since it decided to give the Korean an even larger head than they normally have.

Betas vs. Leukemia=fashion!

Took a walk to break in my new boots and try out some phone apps. I have to enjoy my phone today because I will be kicking myself for not waiting 5-7 months for the new one being introduced tomorrow.






The Sea of Japan is a five minute walk from my apartment.

Love motels

While traveling through Korea there are a few choices of where one can rest their weary had. The first is a regular hotel which what you would expect it to be though somewhat expensive and boring.For bottom of the barrel you can go to a Jimjilbang which is just a public bath house. This may be good if you're too drunk to tell the taxi driver how to get home. One big negative is that you are sharing the room with a bunch of other drunks who may become bi-curious when they see the foreigner passed out in a corner.

A step up from the jimjilbang is the minbak, which is a room in a house that you can rent with blankets but probably no (western style) bed. You may have to share the toilet and I don't remember the one I was in having a shower. The owners may provide some noodles and rice though.

After that we have the love motels. I have stayed in many of these because 1) they are everywhere in Korea and 2) they are cheap for what you sometimes get and may be cheaper than a late night taxi home. Always a hit or miss, it is a good idea to ask to see the room before you agree and pay. My friend Steve and I stayed in one not so clean place in Seoul after a long day of traveling and were too tired to find a better place. We asked to see the room and noticed the bed was still unmade from the previous guests and there was nastiness everywhere. We had to rock, paper, scissor it to fight for the cleanest place to sleep (which was the uncarpeted floor). I lost. The bathroom wall had a hole in the wall in which you could see into another room. Classy.

tiny bathroom door in a disgusting room

Other times you can get a place with a 46" flat screen tv, computer and mood lighting. I stayed in one of these for a few weeks while waiting to get into my apartment this past August. The room was much bigger than a normal hotel and there was a nice big bathtub if the urge was to hit. Some try to be a bit more romantic than others providing heart shaped tubs and beds, Korean porn on the tv (like skinamax, but without the quality acting), king sized beds and glass bathrooms.

Can't say I am a fan of the glass bathroom walls. The shot above was from the bedroom.

In case you need to check your email

If you need to spice things up a bit, in the hallway you may find a small library of Japanese porn or perhaps something else that will tickle your fancy!

another wedding

Not the bride (of the wedding I attended)

I attended another wedding this weekend. The location this time was Gwangju, which is a three hour drive from Busan. I went to hear a friend of mine sing and for the chance to get out of town for a bit. The wedding lasted 25 minutes and then we ran upstairs to eat at the buffet with 300 other people from 4 other weddings taking place at the same venue.


It really feels like a wedding factory in these places. They rush you in an out so fast and people are piling in for the next wedding before the bride and groom from the previous wedding even have time to get out. The whole time the wedding is happening people are talking and shouting in the lobby area with little to no respect for the happy couple getting married.

the happy couple and some family

A poster of two white people that somehow advertises the wedding hall

Me with the new bride. I hadn't pooped in a week!

What the bride's car may have looked like (notice the white gloves telling everyone to kindly "fuck off").

Baseball cap and PSP at a wedding? Why not!

I couldn't figure out why there were stewardesses there.

The stewardesses were very rough with the mothers, I wasn't the only one surprised by this.

I wonder if Marriott knows that their name is being used?

When it is all said and done though, I had a great time!

Gone missing

There have been widespread reports from other expats in Korea that their Christmas packages from home never made it. Unfortunately I am one of those people that is waiting for some delicious (but now probably quite stale) Walmart sugar cookies and sister-in-law's perfect clone of Grandma Ein's chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe they will come after Korean customs pilfers whatever they want.

First!

A low key night for me. I went to Nampo-dong (an area of Busan) with a friend from Fiji and later met up with a Korean guy. At 11:45 we went up to see the ringing of some giant bell but didn't realize that we were being joined with half of Korea. There are a series of escalators you have to take up but the Korean authorities shut them down because people were walking up them. Walking up (or down escalators is frowned upon here).


We had to hike our way up which wasn't so bad, but nobody seemed to be in much of a hurry even though the clock was ticking. We finally made it after some encouraging "bali bali!!!" (hurry hurry) shouts from me. Just has we reached the top it turned to a new year, so at least we made it.

Sorry for the bad pictures, I didn't want to bring my camera when I knew I'd be drinking and forgetful.

The bell at the top of the hill

Post New Year's meal

The bathroom

When in Rome it's sexy-sexy time! (It says "Lome", how Koreans pronounce "Rome")