Sunday, October 30, 2011

No Halloween party this year

I was saddened when, lats week, the school decided not to have a big halloween party. I had pitched the idea about a month ago and my western co-workers had interest ranging from wanting to start that minute to being interested and willing to pitch in. At my old school, I had  two great Halloween parties and I was really hoping for a third. Alas this school is more course driven and I will instead be giving lectures and monthly tests. To be honest, I wasn't THAT upset about it, but it would have been nice to have a fun Monday with the kids, rather than lessons and tests. Oh well........

In general this Halloween was a quieter one. Fireworks on Saturday and Firefly on Sunday made up my weekend. I know many an expat will be staggering in to work today only half alive, and maybe it's just that I'm getting older (definitely) but I just can't be counted among them anymore. There's no better feeling than waking up fresh.

Friday, October 28, 2011

St. Louis wins it all

Well that's maybe the way this season should have ended. The last team anyone expected to win wins. St. Louis defeated the Texas Rangers 6-2 to win their eleventh World Series title. It was by no means a pretty series, with frequent bullpen errors, questionable strike zones and a blowout game. However St. Louis pulled out the four wins and they should be congratulated for it.

I have to admit though that I was cheering for Texas. Not that I'm a big Rangers fan, but they have a solid lineup of guys who put in a good season. They also lost in last years World Series to the San Francisco Giants, and so once they made it I was hoping for a better finish. As an organization they have also never won a World Series title, whereas St. Louis has previously won 10. I'm always happy to see underdog teams do well and Texas did it for 7 months and earned the right to be there (that shot at the Cards backdoor entrance to the playoffs should not be considered subtle). That being said they were the best team in October, and that's when it really counts. In fact, if you look at the last 10 years St. Louis might be the most consistent October team. Despite rarely being the best they have made it to the World Series three times. No other team has done that this decade (though make it 15 years and the Yankees have been in seven times, that late 90's team was insanely good), winning it twice in 2006 and 2011 and losing in 2004 to Boston.

See:

2002 - L.A Angels                  def.      San Francisco Giants
2003 - Florida Marlins            def.      N.Y Yankees (I have trouble reading that too)
2004 - Boston Red Sox           def.      St. Louis Cardinals
2005 - Chicago White Sox      def.      Houston Astros
2006 - St. Louis Cardinals       def.      Detroit White Sox
2007 - Boston Red Sox           def.      Colorado Rockies
2008 - Philadelphia Phillies       def.      Tampa Bay Rays
2009 - New York Yankees     def.      Philadelphia Phillies
2010 - San Francisco Giants    def.      Texas Rangers
2011 - St. Louis Cardinals       def.      Texas Rangers

So anyway, a season of upsets and big team collapses ends with a team that won a wildcard spot on the last day of the season due to another team losing wins it all. I'm already excited for April.


In the Korea Series, currently in play. My hometown Samsung Lions, who won the regular season championship are on course to win the Korea Series over Incheon based defending Champion SK Wyverns. Samsung is up 2-0 in the Series and SK have managed just one run in two games, though the Lions have managed only four. Looking forward to the weekend games.


Finally, congratulations to the New Zealand All-Blacks for winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup in Auckland. Their first win in 24 years despite regularly being the best team in the world. They beat France 8-7.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

HEEEEEEEEERE'S Winter

Well it's October 25th and it's 7 degrees and looking to go down to near freezing tonight. I know that to many people that is not winter, but to me and my Californian and Australian co-workers it's cold. It didn't help that I didn't dress well for it, but for the first time this year my heat is on and my sweaters are out. It also doesn't help that just 4 weeks ago it was 28 degrees and sunny and just last week our overnight lows were still hovering around 15 degrees. It's just a reminder of how quickly things can turn weather-wise in NE Asia.

I'm now off to look at flights south for my winter break^^

Sunday, October 23, 2011

isteacher is one year old

Well it's been a year since I started to document my life here in a blog. After a year I can say I'm fairly happy with it. I seem to have a small but steady group that read it but as I said in my very first post, it's as much for myself as for anyone else. A sort of journal of my life here that friends and family can share in. Though given that I don't advertise it on blogging sites, link it to any blogs unless I personally know the people writing them or advertise it at all I have a decent number of page hits.

My most popular blog was "Taiwan, Day 2" It is about Geoff and I going up to Maokong tea fields just south of Taipei for the day during our trip there last May. I'm not sure why this Taiwan one was so popular (the others aren't even in the top ten). After that a blog I did on the Japan earthquake, one I did on the changes to the monarchy and one on my job situation at SEI are on there. I average about 15-20 unique hits a blog though some are much higher and a few lower. I average between 13-16 posts a month on months when I am blogging (June and July this year saw a combined 3). The most popular topics are travelling and Korean current events while the least popular seem to be ones that start with 'a quiet weekend' ...... that really makes sense in most ways.

As to sources. Not surprisingly South Korea gives me the most page hits, followed by the US and Canada (they swap for 2nd and 3rd regularly). I imagine both of them encompass family and friends, though I think the US must give me a few unknowns. Fourth is Australia, which is probably because a few bloggers in Korea and China base their sites out of Australia. I also have a few friends who live there. Fifth is Malaysia. I'm not sure who reads it in Malaysia there but I'd love to know. Most viewers are linked through Facebook or google, which is really not surprising. I also notice that virtually all the people commenting do it on facebook.

Overall my biggest regret is that I didn't start this earlier. It's such a great way to keep in touch with people who live in other countries or on other continents or even people who live right near you. It keeps family and friends informed on what I am up to and hopefully gives information to people travelling and hanging out in Korea/Asia. Most important for me though, it documents a time in my life that is very unique and will never come again.

a good weekend

What a nice weekend in Daegu.

Saturday I woke up early. Like 800 early. I had planned to go to Haeinsa to see the tripitaka Koreana which is actually open to the public for the first time in 100 years. However Friday afternoon it started raining and it was still going on Saturday morning (I haven't had a stretch of rain like that since I left Vancouver!). So I opted to have a lazy morning. I loaded up a few new ringtones to my smartphone so now every time I get a message Roadhouse Blues starts up :)

In teh evening I opted for a trip to Mark's and then to Keimyung Makkeoli. I then headed back to Sangin and met my oworker Kris and our soon to be new coworker Mike for a beer. Mike seems like a really good guy. Wants to travel a bit and not too much of a boozer. He's been to Korea before but up in Ilsan (read Seoul) so Gyeongsan is new for him. Hope it works out.

Sunday I woke up and did my big Homeplus shop. I'm now loaded up for the rest of October at any rate.  It was a nice afternoon. With all the cash I sent home I think my next few weekends will be like this one, which is okay with me :)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

why don't you live in Seoul?

I get asked occasionally by friends why I live in Daegu instead of moving to Seoul. I mean, it's Seoul. The truth is that I like Daegu, I'm mostly happy here. I like Daegu's moderate size relative to Seoul. I know there would be real advantages to moving to Seoul, but I also think you lose something living up there. I can't speak much to living in Seoul, as I've only even been there as a tourist, but I know many people who love it. It seems to me that Seoul just has, well everything. Entertainment, food and drink and major transportation. Seoul is a very impressive city in many respects. The variety there is also unmatched in Korea. You can have Korean BBQ one night, Mexican food the next, Indian the next etc. You also have access to one of the largest airports in Asia and on a four day weekend you really can head off to China, Japan or Taiwan relatively easily. You could easily spend a year or two just exploring the neighbourhoods and surrounding cities (Ilsan, Suwon etc.) and I get why so many people rarely leave (in fact I have met both Koreans and expats who have lived there for years who have never left it). There's also a certain vibrancy about it. Many big cities have this. It's just the vibe of so many people in one place but it's very intoxicating. Certainly if I were going to raise a family in Korea I would want to do it in Seoul. The job and education opportunities are second to none anywhere in Asia. Overall, I do think Seoul is a very cool city.

That being said, as a major metropolis I've found it a bit of a let down compared to Hong Kong, Taipei or Singapore. It's a real business city. It's Korea Inc. The headquarters of LG, Samsung, Lotte and Hyundai are all there and its vast subway network moves 10 million people to where they need to go to every day to keep this massive export driven economy going. I mean, it's a very impressive city and I get why it is such a focal point of Korean life but it feels like a city that is designed to generate revenue. Hong Kong and Singapore are both major financial centres as well, but they have more..... well character. Certainly Insadong has a lot of touristy things but I find most suburbs just not that much different from suburbs in Daegu, Busan or Ulsan. Also, Seoul is such a modern city that I think you lose out on certain aspects of Korean life that you would get somewhere like Daegu (and even moreso somewhere like Gyeongju, Andong or Jinju). Finally, I would worry that Seoul would eat my savings much faster than Daegu or Ulsan do.

Because of that, I find Seoul an awesome place to visit. It's a real treat to see and hang out in. However, I find Daegu has *most* of what I'd want in Seoul but it costs less. Maybe if I was still young enough for clubbing and those sort of bars I'd want Seoul, but for week in and week out Daegu is a great place to live. It maintains that traditional Korea well, but I can still grab a steak or a tandoori chicken if I really need it. Plus given its location I can easily hop a bus or train to just about anywhere for very little.

But what do you think? I know a few people who live or have lived in Seoul. Am I being fair or would I feel differently if I lived there?

Thursday, October 20, 2011

My week in October

Monday started off with a post work trip out to Seongseo to visit Sydney st. with Kris and Chu (a Korean friend who lives there). We were picking up a few things at Marks and staying for a pint. A good, low key night.

Wednesday was my friend Geoff's 30th birthday. Being that 30 is a big one, we felt we should do something. But being a work night it had to be a responsible something. We opted for Makkeoli and a noraebang in Beomeo. I also managed a 9th WaBar here in Korea. Turning 30 while living in Korea....... I'll be there in a few months too and I personally can't think of a better way to do it (well.... maybe 30 in Bali). It was a good night out and a great mid-week celebration that didn't hurt too much the next day.

Thursday was a makeup class with Haemi for Korean. I have been really lazy with that recently so I am trying to get motivated and regular classes seem like the best way to do it, plus Haemi is a good teacher (혜미짱!).

Today is Friday, and I am ready for a weekend break^^

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

My First 3D Movie

Last night Hyo Jung I went to my old neighbourhood, Seongseo, to see the Three Musketeers movie in 3D. I had never done a 3D movie before (I missed the whole Avatar craze) and I must say that I can see why movie makers do this. With traditional movies, you'd be mad to pay to see them when you can download them, legally or otherwise, and watch them on HDTV at home with the quality being much better. Even in Korea where going to a traditional movie is only $8 it's just so much easier to get them at home. 3D movies, despite the $13 ticket price in Korea, makes it worth actually going to the theatre. The movie itself was less than what I was hoping. In fact it was one of the lesser Three Musketeers movies. It felt more like it should have been Crouching Tiger, Hidden Musketeer rather than anything based on the Dumas book and, at the risk of giving away too much, any movie about early 17th century France that features an air battle is suspect in my books. If you want to do sci-fi in 1600 go for it, but don't advertise it as the Three Musketeers. However, the 3D made an otherwise sub par film enjoyable. I will definitely do that again.

Afterwards I went to Beer Cabin, an old hof/soju that I went to a few times when I worked in that area. It hasn't changed a bit and on a Tuesday night it was dead. So after a quick meal I called it a night and came back to Sangin.

Monday, October 17, 2011

two big sports finals

Well it's a Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals World Series and I for one couldn't be more indifferent.

.................well that's not totally true. The Rangers have been a solid and exciting team all year and while I was happy to write them off in this years AL Championship run (I figured the Yankees had it) they are a team worthy of the spot. The Cardinals..... well what to say here? A team that by all rights should never have been in the playoffs knocks off Philadelphia (the best team this year and who I thought looked unstoppable) and Milwaukee, who were also a great team in a tough, six team division.

I'm not sure why, but it makes me think of back in the pre-wildcard days, when the NL and AL winners just played a 7 game series for the National title. It would have been a Yankees/Phillies series. On one hand, the excitement of the wildcard races makes regular season baseball just so much more exciting. That being said, I feel that a bit of October luck have produced some Championship series that just didn't live up to the season. In fact, I've found a few Octobers to just be anti-climactic after the Aug/Sept runs. Not that Texas don't deserve to be in the finals, they are a great team. St. Louis was handed a spot in the playoffs by Atlanta and boy have they run with it. However, there's a not too small part of me that wanted that Phillies/Yankees series a lot more than this one.

That being said, it should be good. I guess Texas are the favourites but as this season has shown, that means very little, especially when considering that St. Louis have home field advantage. I don't know who to pick, but since I feel I have to I'm going to go with Texas. It's cause it's what I want as much as what I think will actually happen. They were here last year and lost to San Francisco. I'd hate to see them make it all this way and not do it again, especially to a team that really shouldn't even be there.

So. Texas in 6.



Totally unrelated is the New Zealand All Blacks and France are in the rugby World Cup Final. Australia and Wales will play a bronze medal game too but I understand that means very little. I'm not exactly the biggest rugby fan and have managed just one game this whole WC. However, compared to the FIFA World Cup I have watched this with some interest. I'd love to see New Zealand do it at home and they are the heavy favourites. Should be a good final.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Bangkok and Ayutthaya under water

Another news post, then I'll stop :)

I was talking to a Thai friend who lives in Bangkok a few nights ago and she was telling me all about the Thai floods and while she thankfully won't be affected, millions have been. I've spent lots of time in Thailand and can not say enough wonderful things about the culture, people, history, food etc. It's always awful when stuff like this happens but somehow I think it hits you harder when you've been there and seen the places and people first hand. The Thai government says that Bangkok should be spared the worst of the floods as sandbags and canals are sending the water out to see. However that is not true for many other parts of the country, including some very beautiful and historic spots.

I was saddened to read that Ayutthaya (the Thai capital from the 14th to the 18th century and home to hundreds of ruins, temples etc.) has been overrun and many of the ancient structures are now severaly flooded. Ayutthaya is one of the coolest places I have ever been and I really hope that the damage is not permanent. 

Here are a few pics of the city from 2009:


a park with ruins in the background

up close to an old building

a temple

a Buddha that is still cared for, it survived the destruction of the city.

in the court of one of the largest buildings

the lake and bridge in the Royal courtyard

another shot of the courtyard with a temple in the background

the main walking area

CNN has reported this on the Thai floods.

I'm sure there are charities that are collecting for this. Lets just hope that they can get this sorted out and life can get back to normal asap.

I wonder how free trade will change life here?

Korean president Lee Myung Bak is in Washington today to sign a free trade agreement with President Obama. This is something Korea has not been willing to do historically, as they have usually practiced excessive protectionism. Hyundai, KIA, Samsung, LG and Lotte are all guaranteed 45 million customers. However, overall it's the Americans agreeing to it that I can't understand.

Currently Koreans make some of the best cars in the world, and they do it cheap. In Korea a new Hyundai can be as little as $10,000 USD. While it would be more expensive in the U.S it would still be sold for less than a Ford. Also, it is more gas efficient than any U.S model and there's no chance of Hyundai folding in the next five years. In contrast, U.S vehicles are seen as big, unsafe and unreliable (what good is a warranty from a company that no longer exists?). In fact, the bill could still be held up in Korea because President Lee has agreed to lower Korean safety standards on some models to allow U.S cars to be sold legally in Korea. Finally, American cars are, well huge. Parking in Korea is at a bit of a premium and driving the new Chevy Testosterone model SUV in Seoul will assure that you will not be driving down most alleys or parking anywhere. There's also the patriotic element, of which the average Korean makes a US army colonel look like Michael Moore. Japanese cars have never been sold in Korea because buying one is considered treacherous. The U.S gets a better reputation but buying American is NOT buying Korean and for the reasons mentioned above you don't often see them. BMW's are sold to the wealthy here, but they are manufactured in Korea.

Food prices will drop, which is a good thing. Food prices in Korea have nearly doubled on many items in the last 5 years and new U.S imports will ease that. Korea already allows duty free imports of food from Australia and China and now it will allow U.S food imports for free...... too bad all that U.S meet has mad cow :p

On electronics I have no idea. In Canada, the U.S or Australia where Japanese Sony and Panasonic compete with American RCA, Taiwanese Acer and Korean LG and Samsung there's not a lot to separate them in terms of quality. In Korea the fact that it's an American model might get a few people up in Gangnam interested (it's American, like Brad Pitt!). Well to be fair it'll be trendy everywhere, so they might do okay. No Korean will buy a U.S cellphone unless it's with a Korean carrier. Sprint charges more and nickel and dimes you on everything until an American is paying more for one month of cell phone use than a Korean in paying for three. But if they conform to Korean standards the stylish U.S appeal may get a few young and wealthy types interested.

Other than that I'm not sure what else there is. I guess raw materials like lumber will get a boost in export to Korea. If Hyundai and Samsung open plants in the U.S they will need parts and that may create jobs in the U.S, though with NAFTA they could just have them made in Mexico for way less. That being said, a few years back Chevrolet put out ads showing Chevy jeeps at Normandy, Iwo Jima and other WWII sites (the shot at Japanese automakers being somewhat less than subtle). Toyota responded by buying many of those factories that Chevy shut down when they moved to Mexico and China and put US workers back to work (outside the autoworkers union of course) and today Toyota has more of a claim to being "made in America" than Chevy does. Don't think even the most uneducated consumer didn't notice that. On top of that, Toyota made better cars. Hyundai could do the same, so Obama's claim of 70,000 new jobs may not be a lie (though how many will be lost should really be deducted from that).

As for me, I do like the prospect of a 1200 won ($1) Samuel Adams Boston lager :)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Paul and I hit Beer Kaiser, a quiet weekend

This weekend, being the weekend before pay day, was a quiet one.

On Friday Paul came up to Daegu and we went down to Beer Kaiser (a local hof) for Szechuan (kung Pao) chicken and a couple of pints. Not much happened and we were both asleep by one. Saturday we got up early to find food and wound up at the gimbap heaven for breakfast. Then in teh early afternoon he left and I spent the rest of the day crashed out watching TV.


Sunday, October 9, 2011

The Simpsons is on course for its 25th season...... sigh

Well after facing cancellation over budget issues the Simpsons has been renewed for a 24th and 25th season.

Why? (note, I realise that revenue is the reason why)

Despite the fact that it should be in the bin of 1990's trivia with Kurt Cobain, the X-Files and Monica Lewinsky, it will continue well in to the second decade of the new millennium. Don't get me wrong, I have very fond memories of watching this show.......... when I was in grade 3, or talking like Ralph Wiggum......... in grade 8. It's a huge part of my childhood. Season 4 and 5 still have some of the funniest moments on television (a streetcar named Marge, Kamp Krusty). It was clever, satirical and actually funny. Not cheap laugh/groan funny, but laugh til you can't breath anymore funny (Planet of the Apes, the Musical). Phil Hartman's death was the first thing to go wrong with the show, Conan O'Brien leaving was another, but at the end, the writers have just been out of ideas....... for a decade. The charaters are charicatures of themselves. We all know what Mr. Burns is going to say and then he says it and we all laugh. There are no more stories, it's like an episode of Family Guy (which also needed to stop about ten years ago).

Anyway, 25 years (10 of which were actually good) SHOULD be long enough and I hope it will be. I know people will say that there was a good episode in season 19, or that season 21 was better than the last 5 (or whatever) but it's like in the 1990's when all of these dinosaurs of rock started releasing records and touring again. Jimi Hendrix seemed to have more unreleased material than should be possible. The Beatles had more Anthologies than they did records. The Stones were touring ("what a drag it is getting old" sounded better out of Mick in 1965 than it did in 1995 for some reason). Page and Plant, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton etc. Now we all thought that their music was great, I mean who doesn't like Zeppelin IV? But didn't you secretly think it was also kinda sad? I mean, was any of it half as good as their 1968 records? Wasn't it just our parents nostalgia keeping these guys going? Would you really rather listen to Jimmy Page tuning his guitar than, you know, a song? It's T.V this time but we are doing the same thing. It's nostalgia for season 5 that has given us season 25. Maybe that's a testament to how big a part of our youth the Simpsons was but much like Page and Plant to our parents, it belongs in our childhood.

The Simpsons is a relic from our childhood, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Wow, I really suck at this

Well I said that the AL Championship Series would be the Yankees and Rays, and it will be Detroit and Texas.

I said that the NL Championship Series would be the Phillies and teh Diamondbacks and it will be the Cardinals and teh Brewers.

I did say that Arizona was a pick from the heart, not the head so maybe I have an excuse there, but that's about it.



What a crazy year! Boston collpases and misses the playoffs. Atlanta follows suit. The best team from the AL and NL respectively drop out in the division series and a wildcard team that really had no business even making the playoffs is now in the NL Championship series against the Brewers, the Milwaukee Brewers!

So anyway:

AL Championship Series is:

Detriot Tigers vs. Texas Rangers

NL Championship Series is:

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers


I'm very hesitant to pick, simply because this year has been the most unpredicatable in recent memory and I went 0-4 in the divisional series. In a season where Philadelphia and New York are both blown out with a whimper after stellar seasons I have no clue, so I'll pass and just enjoy the next series.

Protecting YOUR right to throw midgets in bars.

Read here about a Florida state senators attempt to repeal a 20 year old Florida law that outlaws Dwarf tossing in bars.

This is great on so many levels:

1- The fact that this actually became so common in Florida that it required a law in the first place.
2- The fact that it's being repealed as an attempt to create jobs for dwarves.
3- The fact that Dwarf tossing is considered by some to be a freedom.


God Bless America.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

WaBar, Korea's Western Ice-Bar

Everyone is Korea, or at least Gyeongsan, knows WaBar. It's a Korean chain meant to be a western "ice bar" (whatever that is). It's not bad, food is a bit pricey but you can get the largest variety of beer in any Korean bar at not too unreasobale prices. However, for many westerners showing up in Korea, especially if you are going to one of the smaller towns, it's your first drinking hole. It was certainly that way for me when I pulled up in Ulsan in 2008. It was my first week and Kris took me down for a pint where I met Paul and a friend of his who has since gone home. Paul and I are still friends to this day. It was a regular place to hang out and I had a lot of fun nights there. Since coming to Daegu the sheer variety of restaurants/pubs makes WaBar a less frequent hangout. However, the really small one in Seongseo was still the place we had Kris and Miranda's goodbye dinner and later a place I took my dad when he came to Korea. In fact, the table where Miranda carved their initials is still there, with the initials in tact.

Now I have a new WaBar near my place. It's a really nice one with a small patio and a great upstairs area. I've hit it up a few times and really like it. It's still one of the best places for a 500cc pint in Korea and being that the franchise has a bit of history with me I'm happy to keep on going. After heading there the other night and talking about this with a friend I felt I should share it with friends.

Anyway, maybe it's not that interesting^^

Monday, October 3, 2011

How much do I fly?

I was chatting with a friend recently about how much we fly. I know it sounds dumb, but when I stopped to think about all the flights I've taken, I realised that I actually do fly a lot, though in clumps (2003-2004; 2008) etc. So here (and I won't be offended if you skip this section and continue reading below, it's more for me than for anyone else) are the flights I've taken so far (that I can think of):

1996 - Vancouver - Los Angeles
            Los Angeles - Seattle (stopover)
            Seattle - Vancouver
1997 - Vancouver - Los Angeles
            Los Angeles - Vancouver
1998 - Vancouver - Los Angeles
            Los Angeles - Vancouver
2003 - Vancouver - Hong Kong (stopover)
            Hong Kong - Melbourne
           Melbourne - Sydney
           Sydney - Melbourne
2004 - Melbourne - Brisbane
           Gold Coast - Melbourne
           Melbourne - Hong Kong
           Hong Kong - Vancouver
2007 - Vancouver - Las Vegas
            Las Vegas - Vancouver
2008 - Vancouver - Hong Kong (stopover)
           Hong Kong - Bangkok
           Bangkok- Chiang Mai
           Bangkok - Ko Samui
           Ko Samui - Bangkok (stopover)
           Bangkok - Siem Reap
           Siem Reap - Bangkok
           Bangkok - Hong Kong
           Hong Kong - Vancouver
           Vancouver - Seattle (stopover)
           Seattle - Seoul (stopover)
           Seoul - Ulsan
2009 - Seoul - Hong Kong (stopover)
           Hong Kong - Bangkok
           Chiang Mai - Bangkok
           Singapore - Hong Kong
           Hong Kong - Seoul
2010 - Daegu - Jeju
           Jeju - Daegu
2011 - Seoul - Taipei
           Taipei - Seoul
            Seoul - Tokyo (stopover)
           Tokyo - Vancouver
           Vancouver - Seoul (stopover)
            Seoul - Daegu


Well that's it, and unless my winter break falls in December (and it may) this year, it's complete through the rest of 2011. This list also, obviously, does not include all the bus and train travel I have done (or had to do :P) and I won't even begin to make that kind of a list.

It seems long to me but I certainly know people who would laugh at this list. I also notice it's a lot of the same places. Hong Kong, Bangkok, Melbourne, Seoul, L.A and Vancouver account for most of the departure/arrival destinations. Also, I've had a lot of stopovers in Hong Kong, but I always end up going there on the way back. BTW - Hong Kong is my favourite place is Asia, and maybe the world so far. Go there.

I also noticed, and I don't know why I never have before, that I have never taken a domestic flight in Canada. Truth is the only other Canadian province I have ever been to is Alberta. I have had domestic flights in the U.S, Thailand, Korea and Australia, but not my own country. That actually kinda blows me away.

Also, though not on this list, is that virtually all these flights (except for the ones in the 1990's and the Aussie domestics) have been on Asian carriers (Cathay Pacific mostly, but also Bangkok Airways, Korean Air and Japan Airlines). Asia carriers are great, less expensive and offer free stopovers. Cathay gives you free stopovers in Hong Kong. How can you beat that?

Finally, I didn't get on a single plane until I was 14. Is that late?



So how about you? How much do you fly? How young were you when you started? Do you go to a lot of the same places or is every flight to a new place?

Sunday, October 2, 2011

checking out Andong

With it being a three day weekend I decided that I needed at least one day outside of Daegu. I have wanted to go to Hahoe village, Deosan Seowan and the city itself for over a year now but for reasons that are unexplainable I never seemed to just get up and go. So on Sunday I grabbed my coworker Kris (not to be confused with my old coworker and friend Kris), met Geoff and one of his friends, and headed off to Andong. We were also meeting Angela and two of her friends there. Our plan was to meet at the bus stop, cross the street and grab a bus to Hahoe.

I had read about Andong in my Korea travel guide and on my friend David's blog (he lived there for three years) so I had a pretty good idea what was up. However, this being Korea things change faster than you can keep up with and in the last year Andong has built a whole new bus terminal in the west end of town (a 7000 won cab ride away). So the four of us opted to bus to Andong Station to get train tickets for the ride home and meet Ange and her friends there to catch the bus. We grabbed our tickets but then decided just to cab it out. It was like 30000 won but split four ways was cool.

Hahoe itself was packed for the mask festival, so we got some food and decided on the 330 show. This gave us time to walk around the village, which is set in an absolutely beautiful mountain setting, with rice terraces, gardens and minimal power lines and apartments. The village itself is very similar to the folk village I saw up in Suwon but it was still really cool to see it. The buildings have retained their traditional architecture and design but unlike in Suwon, there is a large family clan who live here (so big sections are off limits). The Korean government subsidized people who are willing to live in the traditional Joseon way. It keeps the traditional culture alive in an era of rapid modernisation and it is great for domestic (and some international) tourism. Either way it was very cool. Next was the 330 show which was good, but all the dialogue made it difficult for those not fluent in Korean (ie -us) to really grasp what was happening, so we opted to head back to the village and see a bit more. We then had the task of getting back in to town. The bus, which only runs every couple of hours, was not put in to higher circulation for the festival. We all lined up but when it did come people just ran/shoved each other in a mad dash for the bus (like those really fat ladies that wait outside Wal-Mart on Boxing Day or Black Friday in North America). I was actually a bit sickened at the lack of regard/courtesy for other people, but then I remembered where I was.......... anyway we all got on, crammed in though we were and got back in to town. We then decided to walk around Andong a bit and eventually found a bbq place to sit, eat and chat for a while before we parted ways and hopped on the train.

Unfortunately we didn't have time to see Deosan Seowan or really as much of the city itself as I had wanted to, but that's okay as I've already decided that Andong is somewhere I will go back to a couple of times before I leave Korea. I will probably do another trip up there in the next couple of months as fall sets in and Deosan Seowon gets its beautiful fall setting. I also had more time to catch up with Ange, meet her friend who I  really liked and get to know Kris better than I thought I would. With that in mind the trip itself was an overall success. Andong itself is a cool little city and being one of the few Korean cities without any major industry, the air was very clean and the mountains especially beautiful.

When I replace my camera cord I'll throw up the pics.