Saturday, October 29, 2011
Samsung Passes Apple in the Smartphone Arena
You can read the Reuters article here.
This was interesting to me because Apple products (especially the iPhone) are intensely popular here. Granted, Samsung is a South Korean company, but I see so many Apple products everywhere I might have expected them to be more coveted.
I personally have a Samsung smartphone (the Samsung Galaxy S II), and I've enjoyed my experience with it. Two of the main reasons I'm not ecstatic about Apple products include their exorbitant prices and Apple's poor (and frustrating!) customer service, even to the point of ignoring consumer complaints about new products that don't deliver straight out of the box. I enjoyed the line in the article that said Samsung "tries to offer the Apple experience at a better price with better functionality." It's a good time to be in South Korea. Congratulations, 삼성!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The LED Festival
Today my Korean friend and I went to the LED Festival.
We took the bus, so I got to practice using my new electronic bus pass:
On the way to the bus stop we saw the remnants of what I think are Lotus flowers. Their leaves are huge, some of them wider than six hand-breadths in diameter.
We also saw some gorgeous trees. It's definitely autumn now!
The LED Festival had massive light displays, some elegant, all elaborate.
While we were there, we took a carriage ride (pulled by a donkey), saw a very impressive Chinese circus show (by which I was too captivated to take pictures; sorry), and witnessed a myriad of singing acts from famous Korean artists, the breadth of which spanned several genres.
It was a great time, and I'm so glad I went.
We took the bus, so I got to practice using my new electronic bus pass:
On the way to the bus stop we saw the remnants of what I think are Lotus flowers. Their leaves are huge, some of them wider than six hand-breadths in diameter.
We also saw some gorgeous trees. It's definitely autumn now!
The LED Festival had massive light displays, some elegant, all elaborate.
While we were there, we took a carriage ride (pulled by a donkey), saw a very impressive Chinese circus show (by which I was too captivated to take pictures; sorry), and witnessed a myriad of singing acts from famous Korean artists, the breadth of which spanned several genres.
It was a great time, and I'm so glad I went.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Glorious Gunsan
I really hit the jackpot when I rode downtown today!
I found a fabric shop (which I'd heard only existed up in Seoul, and which will compliment my earlier discovery of a sewing machine shop nicely),
new running shoes (I've gotta find some way to stay in shape, and so far two of my coworkers seem to have been running successfully out here),
a beautiful view of the water (and mudflats) in a blue-collar fishing area,
the other end of the Jinpo Maritime Theme Park (which includes an entire theater and museum inside a decommissioned landing ship, not to mention some great views!),
free 빵되기 and a fascinating look at how these discs are made,
and a huge festival celebrating the opening of the seawall road,
where I got one fingernail painted for free and watched a girl p0wn all the guys at Xbox games.
All in all, I'd say it was a satisfying trip!
I found a fabric shop (which I'd heard only existed up in Seoul, and which will compliment my earlier discovery of a sewing machine shop nicely),
new running shoes (I've gotta find some way to stay in shape, and so far two of my coworkers seem to have been running successfully out here),
a beautiful view of the water (and mudflats) in a blue-collar fishing area,
the other end of the Jinpo Maritime Theme Park (which includes an entire theater and museum inside a decommissioned landing ship, not to mention some great views!),
free 빵되기 and a fascinating look at how these discs are made,
and a huge festival celebrating the opening of the seawall road,
where I got one fingernail painted for free and watched a girl p0wn all the guys at Xbox games.
All in all, I'd say it was a satisfying trip!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Amazingly Vast Leaves
I continue to be fascinated by how magnificently huge the leaves are on some plants here.
Even this tree, which has leaves much bigger than my hand, I'd count as in the medium-sized range for leaves.
Even this tree, which has leaves much bigger than my hand, I'd count as in the medium-sized range for leaves.
Yes, It's From the DMZ!
Remember this post about water from the DMZ?
Apparently my curiosity about its origin was premature - if I had only turned the bottle to another side, I would have seen this lovely map for myself!
Apparently my curiosity about its origin was premature - if I had only turned the bottle to another side, I would have seen this lovely map for myself!
The Global Chocopie
Ladies and Gentlemen...
Introducing the new,
internationally-acclaimed,
too-delicious-to-be-cooped-up-in-Korea,
GLOBAL
chocopie!!!
Now sold at a 월마트 (Walmart) near you!
Introducing the new,
internationally-acclaimed,
too-delicious-to-be-cooped-up-in-Korea,
GLOBAL
chocopie!!!
Now sold at a 월마트 (Walmart) near you!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
I Heart 다사랑
I ordered delivery food tonight from my favorite chicken restaurant, Dasarang, and man, I gotta hand it to them. They threw in a free bottle of Pepsi AND and brand new tissue box!
It even has a menu and their prices:
And now my apartment decor has a beautiful Dasarang theme, haha.
It even has a menu and their prices:
And now my apartment decor has a beautiful Dasarang theme, haha.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Of Birds and Butterflies
On my ride today, I saw this butterfly:
I also saw three beautiful and graceful birds, but I failed to capture any pictures of them.
I also saw three beautiful and graceful birds, but I failed to capture any pictures of them.
Pedaling Among Fields
Today I rode my bicycle out to an intersection that's been drawing me with its allure this week. I finally had time to go explore the fields beyond it, and it was absolutely beautiful.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Sinister Departure
I lost a glove today!
(Yes, just one.)
I was riding my bike to work and had to wait at a light. I began thinking, Hmm, it's a little nippy out...maybe I should wear my gloves... So I was fumbling in my jacket pocket, trying to grab the glove from where I'd stowed it behind my hat, when the light turned. So I shoved my glove back in and rode off 'til the next light.
Once there, I reached into my pocket to finish what I'd started, and bam! It wasn't there! Fortunately, my one-of-a-kind hat was, but my glove was gone without a trace. I can only assume it fell out along the way because I'd failed, in my haste, to stash it properly behind my hat.
On the one hand (actually, it is the left hand that's now gloveless, heh), it's kind of a bummer. I mean, I've had these gloves for years!
On the other hand, it's good for me, because I've needed new gloves anyway. I mean, I've had these gloves for years! ;)
(Yes, just one.)
I was riding my bike to work and had to wait at a light. I began thinking, Hmm, it's a little nippy out...maybe I should wear my gloves... So I was fumbling in my jacket pocket, trying to grab the glove from where I'd stowed it behind my hat, when the light turned. So I shoved my glove back in and rode off 'til the next light.
Once there, I reached into my pocket to finish what I'd started, and bam! It wasn't there! Fortunately, my one-of-a-kind hat was, but my glove was gone without a trace. I can only assume it fell out along the way because I'd failed, in my haste, to stash it properly behind my hat.
On the one hand (actually, it is the left hand that's now gloveless, heh), it's kind of a bummer. I mean, I've had these gloves for years!
On the other hand, it's good for me, because I've needed new gloves anyway. I mean, I've had these gloves for years! ;)
Monday, October 3, 2011
The World Gets Even Smaller
I was at a coffee shop with my coworker tonight and ran into the couple from the coffee shop downtown!
I immediately thought of my friend at the hospital and asked if they knew him. It turns out they do, from none other than 나는 섬, the artsy coffee shop downtown, where my coworker ran into the broken-legged man's best friend this Saturday.
I'm starting to suspect the coffee shop connection in Gunsan is a better social networking system than Facebook...
I immediately thought of my friend at the hospital and asked if they knew him. It turns out they do, from none other than 나는 섬, the artsy coffee shop downtown, where my coworker ran into the broken-legged man's best friend this Saturday.
I'm starting to suspect the coffee shop connection in Gunsan is a better social networking system than Facebook...
It's a Small World After All
The last time we went to see our friend in the hospital, we agreed we'd order pizza and treat him, since he'd done so much for us and deserved reciprocation. He was stubbornly polite, though, and kept trying to fork money over to us. In the end we “stole” his wallet (which wasn't all that hard to keep from him, since he was in a wheelchair) until the bill was paid, and ended up seeing a cool picture of him playing a guitar at a place that looked awfully familiar. I asked him where it was, and he gave me the name of none other than the coffee shop where I was invited to a cozy dinner.
Talk about a small world!
Talk about a small world!
Hangin' Out at the Hospital
When my coworker was in the hospital, we met a really cool dude who's stuck there for another month due to a badly broken leg (the result of his friend's powerful Judo kick while sparring).
Since my coworker's recovery, we've gone back to visit him. One time he ordered pizza for us and insisted on treating. Another time I went to see him and he insisted I eat the last (dumpling? eggroll?) of the food his mom had bought and brought him. He's a hilarious and cool guy, and we have plans to keep on going back.
Since my coworker's recovery, we've gone back to visit him. One time he ordered pizza for us and insisted on treating. Another time I went to see him and he insisted I eat the last (dumpling? eggroll?) of the food his mom had bought and brought him. He's a hilarious and cool guy, and we have plans to keep on going back.
An Unexpected Invitation
I wrote my first article for the newspaper this weekend!
I went downtown to an interesting coffee shop and interviewed the owner (with the kind help of his girlfriend as our translator). When I arrived, I expected to order something nice and settle right down into asking all my questions, but instead I was invited to a back room where the staff was preparing Korean barbecue!
The owner, his girlfriend, and the part-time man on staff welcomed me and talked with me. The part-time man and the owner's girlfriend cooked the meat and I enjoyed tasting the soup the girlfriend made.
It was wonderfully cozy, and it made the whole scene seem more intimate.
I had stumbled across the coffee shop a few weeks prior and immediately been welcomed by the owner's girlfriend, a gracious Korean woman who teaches English at another academy. She had stayed and talked with me for quite some time while I was there, and the owner had offered me a free berry drink in addition to my order.
The next time I came I got permission from the owner to write the article about their shop.
While I was helping his girlfriend clean up after the barbecue dinner on Saturday, she asked, “Is it too awkward for you, having a meal like this with people you have met only one or two times?”
“No,” I said, “I don't feel awkward at all. Do you?”
“No,” she said.
I continue to be amazed and impressed by the gracious hospitality and generosity of the people I meet here.
I went downtown to an interesting coffee shop and interviewed the owner (with the kind help of his girlfriend as our translator). When I arrived, I expected to order something nice and settle right down into asking all my questions, but instead I was invited to a back room where the staff was preparing Korean barbecue!
The owner, his girlfriend, and the part-time man on staff welcomed me and talked with me. The part-time man and the owner's girlfriend cooked the meat and I enjoyed tasting the soup the girlfriend made.
It was wonderfully cozy, and it made the whole scene seem more intimate.
I had stumbled across the coffee shop a few weeks prior and immediately been welcomed by the owner's girlfriend, a gracious Korean woman who teaches English at another academy. She had stayed and talked with me for quite some time while I was there, and the owner had offered me a free berry drink in addition to my order.
The next time I came I got permission from the owner to write the article about their shop.
While I was helping his girlfriend clean up after the barbecue dinner on Saturday, she asked, “Is it too awkward for you, having a meal like this with people you have met only one or two times?”
“No,” I said, “I don't feel awkward at all. Do you?”
“No,” she said.
I continue to be amazed and impressed by the gracious hospitality and generosity of the people I meet here.
A Creature of Mystery
The other day I was waiting for the light to turn and something caught my eye. Many of the corners here have nice flower baskets mounted on poles for decoration. Hovering by one of these was a small creature.
At first I thought it was an extremely massive moth, or some other bizarrely large and strangely-shaped insect. It had a long, very curly tongue that it would stick into the pinkish-purple flowers.
The longer I looked, however, the more I began to notice about it. It didn't appear to have any legs, much less six of them, and it had a short, tufty tail that spread out like a fan of playing cards.
Its wings seemed to move either too quickly or too slowly for an insect's, but there seemed to be no audible buzz like I'd expect from any bug that big. But surely it was too small to be a bird...it looked just a little tinier in size than my thumb.
And yet, after much mental debate, I realized that it may very well have been a hummingbird.
As I pondered, watching it, and tried to gather more visual assurance of my speculation, the light turned, and I let my feet take me away.
At first I thought it was an extremely massive moth, or some other bizarrely large and strangely-shaped insect. It had a long, very curly tongue that it would stick into the pinkish-purple flowers.
The longer I looked, however, the more I began to notice about it. It didn't appear to have any legs, much less six of them, and it had a short, tufty tail that spread out like a fan of playing cards.
Its wings seemed to move either too quickly or too slowly for an insect's, but there seemed to be no audible buzz like I'd expect from any bug that big. But surely it was too small to be a bird...it looked just a little tinier in size than my thumb.
And yet, after much mental debate, I realized that it may very well have been a hummingbird.
As I pondered, watching it, and tried to gather more visual assurance of my speculation, the light turned, and I let my feet take me away.
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