2 years on...........

Hey,

Just over a year ago, I was returning back to Korea to start my 2nd year. I can't believe how fast the last year has gone, I really can't. It has been a great year overall, perhaps not as full-on (mainly in terms of alcohol consumption...a good thing I think!) but I feel I have experienced a lot and seen a bit more of Korea and Asia too. I think I will try and pick a top 5 of my last year in Korea....in no particular order!

1. Meeting and starting a relationship with my girlfriend Lisa. It was just under a year ago that I first met her, and we have been going out now for around 10 months. We've had our up's (trips to Chungju, Taiwan and more recently, Jeju) and our down's but I love her and am looking forward to whatever we end up doing together next.

2. Neil and Kyongmi's wedding in July was a great occasion, the ceremony was very touching and well thought out, and at a great venue too. It was good to meet Neil's parents again, and see such a big gathering of their friends and family to celebrate the occasion.

3. Stewart came and visited at the end of June which was absolutely brilliant. We managed to fit a lot in, including a superb trip to Jeju where we hired scooters and toured round the island. We also went to Seoul, the DMZ, a rafting/bungee jumping trip and he visited my schools too which was great. I am so happy he made it over.

4. Greg and I's trips to Japan (in January) and Beijing (in May) were both amazing. In Japan we took in Kyoto, met up with Gordie, and then headed up to Tokyo on the bullet train. Expensive, but very good. Beijing was all about shopping and sights. We got tailor-made suits, climbed the Great Wall, visited the Olympic venues and ate Peking Duck and deep-fried scorpions!

5. Meeting Tom Cruise in January was surreal but superb. It was a bit crazy, but we got to speak to him and I shook hands with the main star of two of my favourite films of all time (Top Gun and Mission:Impossible). I have my signed Top Gun DVD on the wall in front of me as I write this blog.

It is highly unlikely that this time next year I will still be in Korea, but by the time I leave (probably in May/June next year) I will have lived here for over two and a half years. I am starting to worry a little bit about returning to the UK, I think I may well experience a bit of reverse culture shock. I know I will find some things very frustrating (Internet speeds, prices and weather) but by the time I leave I know I will have 'had my fill' of Korean life and I am already looking forward to spending a summer on Iona. Anyway....that is all some distance away, so in the meantime I will focus on what I've been up to since the last blog.

Since Greg and Neil's (temporary) departure I have quietened down a bit socially. I've been out a few times to Bupyeong, Bus Terminal and in Yeonsu-Dong, but haven't been out in Seoul since August, a fact which has been kind on my wallet and my liver. I don't miss the sweaty nightspots in Hongdae/Itaweon at all, to be honest I would be quite happy if I didn't cross the threshold of any of the them for the remainder of my time out here.

Despite this decrease in heading out, there have still been a few things worthy of a blog mention. At the end of August Lisa and I headed out to Eulwangi beach on the Airport island to join a few other folk for a beach BBQ to celebrate Steph's birthday. Conor and Steph's boss had brought a proper BBQ, two massive ice boxes loaded with beer and plenty of other things so we were well set-up. We had a nice afternoon/evening drinking, eating and playing a bit of football. We even ventured into the water but not too far, apparently a Great White Shark had been spotted off the beach earlier in the season so everyone was a bit shifty!

In the middle of September Lisa and I headed over to New Songdo to visit the Incheon Global Festival. The festival has been running since the start of August and will finish in a couple of weeks, and is really an opportunity for Incheon, and New Songdo in particular, to promote itself as an attractive place to visit and invest in. We took the newly-opened subway extension to Central Park station and headed to the entrance. Currently, Korea is in the grip of Swine Flu panic, and so on our arrival at the entrance we were ushered to a special entrance reserved for foreigners where our temperatures were checked. I found this to be bordering on racism. There were hundreds of Koreans passing through the main gates, any one of whom could have contracted the disease abroad or from someone else in Korea, but because we were foreigners (even though I have not been out the country since May) we were automatically suspected of being more of a risk.

Anyway, once we had passed through the 'checkpoint', we headed to explore some of the many exhibits and activities on offer. There was a giant tent with teddy bears acting out scenes from many different places in the world, a robot hall with robot animals and a few hands on machines, a 3-D movie about a giant fire-fighting robot that committed suicide to save a little girl (slightly strange), a cool fountain show and a global food area (the Turkish kebabs and Indian food were both OK). Here is a link to the Facebook album ( the photos from the festival are on page 2).

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=291456&id=777495416&l=c39fd4db88

Overall, I thought the Festival was value for money, but nothing special. For example, the world food court at the Korea Boat Show in June was much better than the one at this festival, and the Incheon event is far bigger than the boat show was. Still, it was a nice day out.

Last weekend was Chuseok, one of the two big holidays in Korea (the other being Lunar, or Chinese New Year), and I had the Friday off, so Lisa and I flew down to Jeju for a wee long weekend break. We had booked our flights ages ago but left the 1st night hotel room until the last-minute and didn't book car hire or our 2nd nights hotel, so we were a bit worried we might not get either. In the end, we got a beauty of a motor! It turned out all the compact cars were sold out, so we had to go a level up and pay about 40,000 Won extra, but it was worth it. We got a brand new red Kia Forte Coupe, so we had a great fun cruising around in that all weekend. Lisa did most of the driving, as she got her International License when she was back in Canada, but I also had a wee shot too (highly illegal, but luckily I didn't crash). Here is the link to our photos and a shot of our car.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=323388&id=777495416&l=e31d82fde2

Here's a video of us attempting the 'Mysterious Road'. You can't really see it from the video but due to sight-lines, if you put the car in neutral it seems as though it is rolling uphill. A good laugh.

Lisa and I visited a few of the places Stewart and I had been to, such as the maze, Seongsan Illchubong and Seogwipo, but we also went to a few different places too such as Cheonjiyeon falls, a speedboat ride around Seongsan Illchubong and Jeju Love Land (very bizarre). It was a great trip, and confirmed Jeju as one of my favourite places in Korea. I doubt I will be back down there before I go, but you never know.......

Now that Chuseok is over, it seems like an age until the next holiday, which is at Christmas. I think it seems even further away because I know I am going home for Christmas this year, something I am so excited about. It will be so nice to be back in Scotland for the festive season.
Before that, there are a couple of things going on. This coming weekend it is Canadian Thanksgiving day, so Lisa and I are going to a get-together in Seoul where there will hopefully be some roast chicken and other Thanksgiving treats. Then the following weekend it is Lisa's birthday so I have one or two things planned for that. At the end of October Baker's school is planning a Halloween party so I will need to think of an outfit for that (I was a cowboy last year). November is currently looking pretty quiet but I'm sure something will show up. If not, I'll keep saving my money and working away.

I will try and give an update early in November, before then would just be unrealistic! Until then,
Love Neil

A-Z of Korea

I seem to have a bit more time on my hands these days, so I have decided to burn the midnight oil tonight and create an A-Z of things to do with my life in Korea, with a brief description of each.

A - Adjuma/Adjushi - An older Korean Women/Man respectively. Adjuma's are notorious for not respecting queues and generally doing what they want. Many Adjuma's sell vegetables/shellfish by the road or in local markets. Colourful characters.

B - Bobby - Bobby is one half of the GnB team, the other being Ginny. Actually, the 'n' stands for Neo, so I suppose there are three of them. Bobby is blue, and it is unclear if him and Ginny are romantically involved or if they are siblings. The man in the picture below is not Bobby.

C - Cars - Obviously, Korean manufacturers dominate the car market here. Hyundai, Kia and GM Daewoo are the big 3, with SM (Samsung Motors, owned by Renault) and Ssyangsong behind. You also see quite a few Mercedes, BMW's, Audi's, Volvo's and Peugeot's too. I have never seen a Fiat, Renault or Vauxhall over here. My favourite Korean cars are probably modded SM5's, the Hyundai Coupe and the GM Daewoo Windstorm Extreme SUV.

D - Dogs - and more specifically the Korean practice of eating them. Contrary to popular belief, most Koreans don't eat dog and many of my kids react with disgust at the sheer mention of it. Restaurants that serve dog are not that common, and it is quite expensive. I have had it twice, both as a soup ('bosintang') and also steamed. It was quite tasty, although the meat is quite fatty. I tried the skin, but it was not very nice. I would say it tasted a bit like lamb.

E - E-Mart - One of the 'big three' supermarkets in Korea, the other two being Homeplus (Tesco's name in Korea) and Lotte Mart. E-Mart is very similar to bigger supermarkets back home, but they sell some different things like pets and live crabs. I like visiting E-Mart from time to time, but there is a Lotte Mart closer to my apartment, so it takes care of most of my shopping needs.

F - Fudding - Those who know of websites like Urban Dictionary and read Viz may well know the meaning of this word, if you don't...........there is a restaurant in Bupyeong which goes by this name that looks very nice.

G - God - Many Koreans are quite religious, and most who are follow the Christian faith, although Buddishm is also quite popular. From my window I can see a few neon-lit crosses, and occasionally I will get people knocking on my door giving me 'The Watchtower'. Thanks, but no thanks.

H- Hite - Along with Cass, the nation's most consumed beer. Clean, Crisp AND Fresh, or so they say. I say put an 'S' at the start of the name and you've hit the nail on the head. Makes Tennents seem like the Holy Grail of lager.

I - Incheon - Where I live. I'll let Wikipedia explain it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon

J - Jump! - The brilliant performance Lisa and I went to see in Seoul for my birthday. If anyone ever has the chance to see it (I believe they tour quite often.....they've certainly been to the Edinburgh Festival and London) don't miss out, it's excellent. I covered it in a previous blog post so I won't go into detail, but it is a comedy/martial-arts show that has almost no dialogue.

K- Kimchi - I had to have Kimchi for K......the national dish, said to cure swine flu and a variety of other ailments, and scarily addictive. I like 'Baechu' Kimchi, the classic variety made with cabbage, but there are hundreds of other varieties. I will genuinely miss it when I leave.

L - Lessons - My lessons at school mostly last for 45/50 mins, but at one school they are split in half so I only teach for 25 mins. I think around 4o-45 mins is ideal, 25 mins is too short to get into any detail, and for 50 mins you sometimes have to stretch it out a bit. Average class size is about 10 students, it is never above 13/14 (better than last year....32 was my record I think!)

M - Money - Ahhhh money, my greatest battle in life is keeping control of my money. I really need to pay off my credit card this year and save a bit of cash for whatever is next after Korea. I am determined to do it. I will do it! Anyway, Korea's money is called the Won, and comes in 10,50,100 and 500 coins, and 1000(blue),5000(brown),10000(green) and the newly introduced 50000 (gold) notes. 1 British pound is around 2000 Won.

N - North - The further North you go in South Korea, the more military-related things you see, until you get to the DMZ, the 4km wide barrier that separates North and South Korea. The border (also called the MDL, or Military Demarcation Line) is slap-bang in the middle of that 4km area. It is the most heavily fortified border in the world, and I find it a fascinating place. I've been on the DMZ tour 5 times now, and have still enjoyed it every time. Given North Korea's unpredictability these days, it is unlikely the DMZ will be dismantled any time soon.

O - Octopus - Probably the craziest thing I've eaten in Korea is still-moving octopus. They cut it up before they bring it to your table and then you eat it whilst it's still squirming about on the plate. They say you should chew it thoroughly before swallowing as the suckers could suck themselves onto your throat if you don't, causing you to choke. I made sure I chewed it pretty well. The following link is a clip from one of the most famous Korean movies 'Old Boy'. DO NOT WATCH IT if you are squeamish! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ewUzXpgM4

P - Post - The Korean postal service is a bit hit-and-miss. If you are posting domestically it seems to be OK, but things coming into the country from abroad and leaving are sometimes never seen again, and if they are they often arrive battered or ripped. It may not be the Koreans that are at fault, but I have quite a lot of faith in Royal Mail so I think it might be a problem at this end.

Q - Quiznos - When I lived in New Zealand I discovered Subway for the first time, and now I am living in Korea I have discovered Quiznos. I think they are so much better than Subway, I lovvvveeee the Chicken Carbonara sandwich. Tasty.

R - Running - Something I am trying to get back into. I did quite a bit of running last year, both at the gym and outdoors in my local park. This year I am using a nearby cycle path to run along, it is pretty flat and quiet. It is still pretty warm here and often the humidity/pollution are quite bad but I will keep plodding on. If I have my MP3 player and it's not too hot I don't mind it. No wait, that's a lie, I hate it, but I like the way I feel afterwards and I don't want to get fat.

S - Sunny - No, not the weather condition. Sunny is my boss (although she doesn't pay me, my other boss Baker does that) and as close as I have to a Korean 'mum' now that I don't work with Dinna any more. If I ever had a problem that was work-related I would go to her. She and her husband (the famous/infamous 'Mr.Jo') run a big GnB in Donchun-Dong where I work 2 days a week.

T - Talking - In English and Korean. These days I feel I have three different ways of talking.

1: My normal English voice, used when talking to other Westerners.

2: My simplified English, used when talking to my students, teachers and anyone who can understand English but not that well.

3: My attempt at Korean. Usually a mix of Korean and English, and with no sentences, just Korean words. Usually met with a blank stare. Occasionally met with a 'Nayyyyyyyyyy'.

U- Umbrellas - Using an umbrella never crossed my mind before I came to Korea. Back home I always used waterproofs. Here, everyone uses umbrellas, some women even use them when it's not raining to protect them from the sun's tanning ability. Right now, I only have a crappy green one, as I left my good umbrella in a taxi a few weeks ago. Thankfully, I haven't been caught out since then (touch wood).

V - Giving the V's - Korea's love giving the V's (the good V, not the bad one) whenever a photo is being taken. Here is an example. Also, instead of saying 'cheese', they say 'kimchi'.

W - Whisky - It is difficult, and expensive, to find good Scottish whisky in Korea. There is plenty of Johhnie Walker around, and a lot of Ballantynes too. But if you want a malt, you really have to go to Seoul. Even then, I have only ever seen Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Bowmore, or Macallan. Last year I paid around 7 pounds for 1 dram of Glenmorangie at the Hilton in Seoul. Still, it was Christmas! When I came back last year I brought in 3 bottles.....there is 1 left (we drank one and Neil Munro has the other!)

X - emmmmm....... Xi'an - One place I would still like to try and visit in China, one of Korea's neighbours. Xi'an is home of the Terracotta Warriors, and many other historical sites. I think you can get flights direct from Incheon, but to be honest I probably won't go before I leave.

Y- Yogi-Yo - One of the phrases I use the most in Korean, I suppose translated it means.....'stop here please'. Mostly used when taking a taxi.

Z - ZZZZZZ - I have reached the end of my A-Z and it is time for me to go and ZZZZZ. I hope you've enjoyed it! I'll update with a 'proper' blog post soon.

July/August

Hi,

I have again left a big gap between blog posts, this time I will blame it on the heat. The high temperatures have meant that I have to try and conserve my energy as much as possible, and one of the activities to suffer has been blogging. Seriously though, the heat here in Korea right now is too much, I can't wait for it to cool down, though I fear that won't happen for about another month yet.

Although I blogged last at the end of July, that was to update on Stewart's visit, so I will pick things up around the middle of July. The weekend before my birthday, Lisa and I headed into Seoul for my 'surprise'. It turned out to be dinner at a brilliant Mexican restaurant in the Sinchon area called 'On The Border'. I had some delicious Steak Tacos and for dessert got a surprise piece of cheesecake and a birthday rendition from the waiting staff......very embarrassing!

After dinner we caught a taxi over to near City Hall where Lisa had bought tickets for a show called 'Jump!' It is billed as a 'comedy/martial arts performance' and it was absolutely brilliant. The story revolves around a slightly unconventional Korean family who are all strangely good at martial arts. It was both very funny and visually stunning, all without really any speaking at all, all the comedy comes through actions. Here is a Youtube link for a preview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1R12jUIonQ&feature=related

We were sitting a few rows from the front and so, inevitably, being a Westerner (Lisa swears it had nothing to do with it being my birthday!) I was pulled up on stage for some audience participation. I had to do some forward rolls and also got frisked (and they somehow discovered I was carrying lots of knives and other weapons...very clever!). I'm not very good at stuff like that but they were very professional, and I got a free program from it! Here's a photo of me with one of the cast.

We spent the night in Seoul and after Lisa did some souvenir shopping for her imminent return home and I got a tie for Neil's wedding, we headed down to the Han river to hire some bikes and go for a cycle. It took us a while to find a hire shop (they are redeveloping a lot of the riverbank right now so the shop I hired from last year had disappeared) but once we'd got some bikes we headed along the cycle lane upstream towards Jamsil. For some reason I don't have any photos of that but Lisa might....I'll see. It was nice to back on a bike again, although the river had recently flooded so there was quite a lot of smelly mud caking everything. They had cleared the actual cycle lane though, so at least we didn't have to ride through it! After that it was back to Incheon for some Vietnamese (Pho) and then home. A great weekend, all courtesy of Lisa. Thankyou!

On my birthday, the Monday, I was working, Greg got a cake though which was lovely and it was a nice day.

After a short Mon-Thurs at work we had the Friday off, and so it was into Seoul to check into the Hamilton Hotel in Itaweon for the start of the wedding weekend. Greg, Lisa and I went to the outdoor pool for a bit and relaxed, and then in the evening Greg and I headed to the World Cup stadium to meet Neil and his dad to watch Manchester United play FC Seoul. It was very busy, the busiest I've seen the stadium (mostly Man U fans) and it was a good game too, Manchester eventually winning 3-2. Park Ji Sung, the local boy, played about 20mins and got a big roar when he came on.

Here is a link to the photo album on Facebook (the game photos are at the end) and one from the stadium.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238531&id=777495416&l=d95cc70694

The next day (Saturday) it was the big day; Neil and Kyongmi's wedding. Greg and I went to an Austrian deli for breakfast (sausages and saurkraut....mmmmm!.... Anja's influence there I think!) then got dressed and headed over to Gangnam where Neil was getting dressed and his hair and make-up (!) done. Once he was ready I headed back to Itaweon to pick up Lisa and then we headed to the wedding venue. It was a lovely Italian restaurant with a garden area where the actual ceremony took place. Before proceedings got underway the photographer took the wedding photos, and then once guests had arrived the ceremony got underway. It was a mix of Western and Korean traditions, Neil's mum and aunt wore Hanboks (traditional Korean dresses) and one of Kyongmi's friends did a lot of translating so everyone could understand everything. Greg gave a reading, I gave a small speech as did one of Kyongmi's friends Marie, and then Kyongmi and Neil read other vows they had written themselves, an emotional moment. Kyongmi also sang a Korean song to her new husband, she has a lovely voice. Finally the rings were exchanged with Neil's dad presiding, and the new couple walked up the aisle to loud applause. It was a great ceremony, that despite some things being a bit last-minute, was very well thought out and personal, not like some of the factory-line weddings that are quite common in Korea, where everyone comes for the food and then leaves. After the ceremony had finished, we were treated to a great buffet by the restaurant and then went back to James Tucker and his girlfriends massive apartment for some post-wedding drinks. I am so happy the wedding went so well for Neil and Kyongmi, and as I said in my speech, I wish them all the love and happiness for the future.

Here is the FB link to the rest of my wedding photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287542&id=777495416&l=8975f8eaa5

After the wedding weekend it was back to work, but only for two days. On Wednesday, it was the first of GnB's annual vacation, and I used the day to visit a place I had wanted to go to last year, but never got round to it. After a LONG bus journey (going a short distance) I got to Ganghwa Island, a large island connected by bridge to Mainland Korea that sits North of Incheon and near the DMZ. I went and saw a large Dolomen (standing stone-type thing) and also visited a seaside village called Oepori, but overall it was a pretty disappointing trip. Gangwha was like pretty much everywhere else I've been to in Korea, and I spent a long time on buses getting there and back. Never mind, at least I finally got there!

Here is the FB album from Ganghwa, and also the photos from Greg, Tim and I's Busan trip (see below for description)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=291456&id=777495416&l=c39fd4db88

The next day, Greg, Tim and I caught a bus to a city called Changwon, which is where Jeremy and his girlfriend are now living. We had a good night out there and the next day caught a bus into nearby Busan. We stayed in the same hotel that Neil, Gordie and I had stayed in when we went down in September 2007, however this time Busan, and in particular the main beach (Haeundae), were much busier. On the Saturday, we headed to Haeundae but it was SO busy that you couldn't even see the sand for parasols, so in the end we caught a taxi to another quieter beach where we could see the sand and actually get some space. We had a good few games, Greg and I hired rubber rings and attempted to surf on them, and had a good few beers. A nice day. The next day we caught a lunch-time KTX (high speed train) back up to Seoul. It was great trip, and nice to Jeremy again.

Haeundae beach. The sand is there somewhere...under all the parasols!

On the Monday it was back to work, and the following weekend was Greg's final one in Korea. We headed up to Bupyeong on the Friday, there were a good few folk out, then on the Saturday it was into Seoul for a last big blow-out. The night ended very sweatily in the Smallest Nightclub In The World. Good times.

Sweaty Boys!

And so, a week ago today, Greg left Korea and headed back to Scotland. I think he was happy to be leaving although I know that he enjoyed himself out here a lot. I was very sad to see him go, he was my workmate 4 days a week and always around for dinner, playing football or a few beers. Hopefully he will get a job back home soon, but if not....you know you're always welcome back here big guy!

Greg left on Monday and on Thursday Lisa left to head back to Canada (but only for a couple of weeks.....I hope!) so it's a bit quieter in Yeonsu-Dong these days! Greg's replacement Johanna arrived on Wednesday and started teaching today so I've been helping her get settled in. Another new guy who I worked with at Scottish Widows in Edinburgh arrived last month so I met up with him last night and watched the football, and on Saturday I went up to Bucheon to Neil and Kyongmi's to have a wee party, as it's Neil's birthday today. We had a surprise party for him in Goose Goose on Friday which went down well, so although things have been quieter there is still stuff going on.

In future plans, well, Lisa returns at the end of August, it will be good to see here again. Neil and Kyongmi are heading to Scotland and Europe for 7 weeks at the start of September, it's a shame they're not going to be back at the same time as me but it makes sense for them to go then for lots of reasons, so I hope they have a great time.

For Chuseok Lisa and I are booked to go to Jeju where we hope to hire a car (Lisa has her International Drivers License) and explore a bit. I was there with Stewart not so long ago but am delighted to be going back, and Lisa has never been so it'll be new for her. Talking of flying, I have booked my flights home for Christmas, I am flying to Glasgow with KLM on 23rd December, and then flying back to Korea on the 2nd of January. The rough plan is to go to Iona for Christmas, then head to Mum and Mike's between Christmas and New Year, and then be somewhere in the Central Belt for New Year. I am really looking forward to coming home, it will have been over a year since I was in the UK and my first Christmas back home since 2006/2007.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue teaching away (I have one more week of the busy intensive period then it'll calm down a bit again) and try to save a bit of cash.

Lots of love, Neil

Lisa and I at Neil and Kyongmi's wedding

Big Blog Update: Part 2

Following on from Part 1, here follows my account of my brothers visit to Korea at the end of June.

Stewartie flew out with Air France from London and arrived in Korea on Friday 19th June. I was working that day so after we'd got back to my apartment I had to head off to work and he tried to sleep off some of his jet-lag. In the evening we went for a galbi dinner in the Bus Terminal area with Greg, Lisa and Neil and Kyongmi.

A rather dark picture of our 1st night meal.

On the Saturday we had Neil Munro's stag party to go to. Originally the stag was to begin with a boat cruise on the Han river but due to torrential rain we had to cancel this idea and instead hastily arranged to meet at Rythmn and Booze (a western bar) in Bucheon instead. Once everyone was assembled we headed into Yongsan where we had booked a big table at Hooters, a Western-style bar which for anyone not in the know has waitresses with......well.......large hooters! The bar was very new, one of the staff said it had only been open a month, but the girls did some dancing and entertained us well. After that it was onto some of the more familiar nightspots in Seoul, namely Itaweon and Hongdae. It was a good night which I think Stewart and Neil Munro enjoyed.

Our table at Hooters.

The next day we were feeling a bit 'tender' after our big night so we took it easy in Incheon, visiting a discount store in Yeonsu-Dong and having some pizza for dinner.

On the Monday, we headed into Seoul to do some sightseeing. First stop was Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main historical tourist sight in Seoul. We spent a good while looking around the buildings and then walked over to Insadong where Stewartie got a few souvenirs for folk back home. Then we headed past the Chungechung stream and through Myeong-Dong to the bottom of the Namsan Cable Car that would take us up to N-Seoul tower. N-Seoul tower is a hip name for the Namsan Seoul tower that sits atop Namsan mountain and on a clear day gives great views over the Seoul area. Unfortunately on the day me and Stewartie were there it was a bit hazy but we still saw a good amount and it gave both Stewart and I (it was my 1st time up) a good idea of the sheer size of Seoul. After that it was back to Incheon for a an early night.

Now would be a good time to provide the Facebook album link for my brothers visit (this album doesn't include photos from our Jeju trip, they are in another album)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275084&id=777495416&l=cdf2e16cef

So, on the Tuesday morning it was up bright and early to head into Seoul to board the KTX high-speed train for the start of our Jeju trip. It is easier to fly to Jeju, but I thought the combination of train/boat would be a good way for Stewart to see some of the Korean countryside and coast. So, after a 3 hour train ride we arrived at Mokpo on the South coast. From there we boarded our high speed ferry, the "Pink Dolphin" for the trip across to Jeju.

It was very fast (30knots+) and for the first part we were going along the coast through some narrow straights with the tide with us which made it a lot faster! Here is a video of us passing under the bridge that connects Jindo island with mainland Korea. Flying along. (Watch the volume it is quite windy!)

We stopped at a couple of islands along the way including some small ones midway across the Jeju straight that had quite an isolated feel to them. It was here that the captain came out on deck and said "You are Jardine?" he must have looked at the manifest and saw our non-Korean names. We were the only foreigners on the boat, we had a wee chat then he had to get back to disembarking.

After a 3 hour ferry ride Jeju appeared out of the haze and we docked at the port. That evening we checked into a 'love' motel and had some dinner, then had another early night as we were both tired from the travelling.

The next day we headed to Mr.Lee's bike shop to pick up our scooters. I had spoken to Mr.Lee and he had ensured us that despite us not having any licences we could hire bikes as long as we were careful. And so, after a bit of paperwork and tuition we headed off on our 125 cc peach and red machines!

Jeju is roughly an oval shape being wider West-East than North-South. We decided to do a anti-clockwise circuit of the island so we headed off. Although it is quite a big island with a population of around 560,000 (plus many tourists) there were a lot of nice quiet coastal roads to wind our way along. Here is the Facebook album from the Jeju trip.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=273916&id=777495416&l=72c5b9f1a1

On our first days riding, we went from Jeju city around the West coast to Jeju's 2nd biggest city of Seogwipo. On our way we stopped at a nice beach for a paddle, went up to a high spot where we got a great view of some outlying islands (see picture below) and saw the popular Jungmun beach (popular with Korean honeymooners) and also Jeju's world cup stadium.

That night in Seogwipo we dined on Jeju pork (from black pigs) and also some lamb, very tasty. The next morning we checked out a nice waterfall near Seogwipo that falls into the sea (kind of)and then continued round the South coast until we reached Songsan Illchubong. Songsan is an extinct volcano cap (?) that you can climb up to. It is a very popular spot to watch the sunrise from and is nicknamed 'sunrise peak' but we weren't there early enough for that! The sweaty climb to the top was worth it, the crater looks like something out of Jurassic Park and the views from the top were good too. After making our way down we got back on the bikes and continued our our way, sticking to the coast. We did make a brief detour inland to visit the worlds longest lava tube (basically a big long cave ) and a nearby maze where poor Stewartie got a bit lost.

Here's a video of Stewartie doing a bit of off-roading on his scooter too.

After visiting the cave and maze we headed back to the coast and then stopped for the night at Hamdeok beach, where we watched an amazing sunset and had a few beers by the beach.

On our final day we headed inland once more to the 'Mysterious Roads'. These are two stretches of road where, if you put your car or scooter into neutral it will appear to roll uphill. Of course, it's not really happening, it's something to do with sight lines, but still, it was a very weird sensation. We briefly visited a black-sand beach on the outskirts of Jeju-city before reluctantly returning the scooters and heading to the very-busy Jeju airport for our flight back to Seoul.

Jeju is by far the most beautiful place I have visited in Korea, and I think the fact that I was visiting it with my brother AND that we had our own transport made the trip that extra bit special. It really was a fantastic time, and one I shall remember forever.

After Jeju, the fun didn't stop. The next day, we got up early (again) and joined the DMZ tour in Seoul. It was my 5th time, but obviously only Stewart's 1st, and once again it was interesting to look at the most heavily fortified border in the world. I didn't notice many changes from my previous visits, although they had changed the terrible video in the 3rd tunnel theater to a slightly less-terrible but still very cheesy new version.

On the Sunday, I had booked with a foreign friendly tour company in Korea (Adventure Korea) to go on a rafting/bungee jump trip to the East of Seoul. Again, it was an early start and this time Greg, Stewart and I joined lots of other English teachers on the bus to the rafting launch point. Our rafting guide didn't speak much English, but luckily we had a translator so he helped out a lot. We got dressed up in our lifejackets and helmets, and carried our boat to the river. The water level was low, so the rapids weren't very exciting, but they made up for this by playing games and having water fights and races. It was great fun and I think the boys enjoyed it too. I didn't want my camera to die so I don't have any photos, but I do have a video of our next activity. Excuse my language in the video.

Yeah............I did a bungee jump. And so did Stewart. The jump itself was off a river bridge, I think the height was just over 50 metres, but when you're standing on the edge it looks a lot higher! I'm not a big fan of heights, so I was quite proud of myself, but now I've done it I'm not sure if I'd do it again! Once may prove to be enough.

After everyone had finished jumping it was back to Seoul and for us, Incheon. For me it was back to work on the Monday, Stewart came and saw some of my classes on Monday and Tuesday at my different schools. And then, all too soon, it was time for my brother to go home. We had our final early start on Wednesday 1st July as we headed out to the airport for his flight back to London.

I think he had a good time, if you're reading this Stewartie I hope you did, I know I certainly loved having you here. The trip to Jeju was a highlight for me but just having my 'wee bro' here was great. I don't imagine he'll make it our here again before I leave next year so I am so glad that another member of my family got to see where I am and what I am doing here. 2 pictures to finish of the blog.........

New blog coming soon with Deokjokdo trip, birthday weekend, Manchester United's visit to Korea and of course, Neil and Kyongmi's wedding!

Big Blog Update: Part 1

The same thing happened last year, but as we get into the summer months, my blog posts become more and more sporadic. I blame the heat. Anyway, as you can see from the title this is post no 1 of a 2-part update. This post will cover the time between my last blog and my brother arriving in Korea, and also the time between my brother leaving Korea and the present. The 2nd post will focus on the time Stewart and I spent in Korea together.

My last post was around the end of May, and the next event worth a mention after then was Lisa and I's visit to the Korea International Boat Show at the start of June. Korea is very much a maritime nation, much like the UK, but it's recreational boating sector is not nearly as developed as the UK's, and this event was aimed at trying to get more people investing in personal watercraft. After a long and slow bus journey to the event site ( two marinas on Daebu-do, south of Incheon) we arrived to find a very busy show. As usual, here is the Facebook link to the photo album.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=265128&id=777495416&l=5737d100d2

We had a good look around some of the outdoor displays, there were some pretty cool jet bikes and jet boats, and also some jet-powered surfboards which looked like fun. We stopped off for a nice steak lunch and then checked out some of the indoor exhibits, there were some nice small sized speedboats and a couple of medium-sized cabin cruisers but nothing particularly special. Then it was on a shuttle bus over to the other marina to board a couple of moored modern-style tall ships (similar to Jean De La Lune that is often in Oban) and also have some Scottish style sausages courtesy of Gavin (see previous blog for details). This time the big man was actually in attendance so I had a quick chat and a photo with him....turns out he has been in Korea for 25 years, but was originally from Colington in Edinburgh.

Me and the big man!

It was a really good day out, I don't think Lisa was too bored at being dragged around lots of boats, and it was a lovely day which always helps. I would say Korea is definitely an emerging market for recreational boating so I'm sure the event will only grow and grow.

A week or so later Lisa and I went to our local bowling alley and played a few games. Despite my best efforts she beat me 2-1, but I'm sure we will return for a rematch soon! Like many sports in Korea (mountain biking, hiking etc) when Koreans take up a sport they like to get all the kit, so we were surrounded by Koreans with custom bowling balls and Terminator -style gloves to hold the ball with. The alley itself was quite run-down but all the equipment worked, so it was a good night out.

Lisa trying to pick up a few spare pins.

The rest of June was quite quiet until my brother arrived, and as I said before I'll cover that in the next blog. He left on July 1st, a Wednesday, and the following weekend we headed out the island of Deokjokdo for a camping trip. I had been out to Deokjokdo in May and June last year, and although we were going a bit later this year I was happy to see that the island and the beach had not changed much at all. The rest of our group opted to stay in a guesthouse but Lisa and I toughed it out and pitched our tent near the beach. We had a few good swims, played some badminton and football and of course had a match of 'can knockdown'. Here is the link to the album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238531&id=777495416&l=d95cc70694

On the last day I built a big sand castle complete with a tunnel, moat and bridge. I decorated it with empty beer cans....I was very proud! I'm still just a big kid really.

Unfortunately, all the fun in the sun meant that I got extremely burnt, in fact I think the most burnt I have been in recent memory. Over a week after Deokjokdo I am still peeling, and the early part of last week was agony. Very silly.

The weekend just passed we headed south to a place called Boryeong, where every year they hold 'Mudfest', a two week long festival where truckloads of mud is carted to the beach and thousands of people (mostly foreigners) get very muddy. We had a good weekend but the weather wasn't too great (it is rainy season here in Korea) and our arrival time meant we missed out on a lot of the mud which was a shame. Furthermore, I managed to lose my phone (my 1st loss in while though!) so I may have to shell out a bit of money for a replacement. Still, I was glad I went, I didn't go last year and it was a fun experience. There are no photos yet, as I didn't take my digital camera for fear of it getting mudded up, but I did take an instant camera so when I get the photos developed and access to a scanner I will try and put a few of them up.

I will finish this blog with future news. Next weekend, it is my 'birthday weekend' (even though my birthday isn't until next Monday) so I believe Lisa and I are going for dinner and something else on Saturday night (maybe a show....I don't know!) and then on Sunday if the weather is nice we're going to hire bikes and go for a cycle along the Han river.

The following weekend, it is Neil and Kyoungmee (Misty)'s wedding and Greg and I are best men so that will be a busy Saturday. We also have tickets booked for Manchester United vs FC Seoul at the World Cup Stadium so that will be great on the Friday night.

The week after we have our GnB holiday so Greg and I are going to head down to Busan for a long weekend. Greg hasn't been and I haven't been since I first arrived in Korea so that should be a fun time. Not long after that, Greg leaves Korea so I suppose it will be a final time to have a trip with him.

So, that's the next few weeks sorted, it's going to be busy but enjoyable. I will endeavour to get the next post up about Stewart's trip in the next few days.....until then, cheerio.

Made In Taiwan

Following on from my previous blog, after Greg and I returned from Beijing it was back to school, but on Thursday it was Greg's birthday, so I bought a cake and card and got all the teachers at Sunny's school to sign it, which I think went down well. That night we headed out in Yeonsu-dong for a few beers/tequilas, and then back to mine for some late night Pro-Ev (football game on the Playstation 3).

The following weekend we headed into Seoul for the 3rd Seoul World DJ Festival. I had been last year but Lisa, Greg and Neil were new to the event. After the lenghty walk to the venue (it is in the middle of nowhere, by the Han River, near the World Cup Stadium) we settled down on the grass to watch some of the bands/DJ's and have some Soju and Lucozade! Later on, we did a wee bit of dancing and got a massive pizza for dinner.

Our massive pizza. That is my camera case at bottom left.

After I returned from Beijing Lisa had said she had been given the next two Friday's off work (lucky for some!) so I managed to get the 15th off from my work and we booked some last minute flights to Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) with Cathay Pacific. We got up early on Friday morning and headed out the airport for the flight. Taiwan is only 2 and a half hours from Incheon and only an hour behind time, so it was quite an easy flight. Upon landing in Taipei we got a bus to near our pre-booked hotel in the centre. Our hotel was the 'Tango Nanshi' , which according to TripAdvisor, is the #1 ranked hotel in Taipei (http://www.tango-hotels.com/). For me, it certainly deserves that accolade. It was very cool, both in temperature and appearance (the former being very good, as it was 30C outside) and our room was amazing, King size bed, big TV with surround sound, a bath with spa jets and a big TV inlaid to the wall, and crazy toilet that opened and flushed automatically. Lots of gadgets...my kind of place!

Lisa has a few friends that had been to Taiwan before and they had recommended hiring a scooter, so Lisa had been in touch with an English guy called Jeremy who rents scooters to foreigners in Taipei. After we checked in it was off on the subway to meet him. He was a really nice guy, he met us with the bike (a 125cc scarlet coloured machine) and gave us a thorough tutorial on the do's and dont's of driving in Taiwan. Originally, Lisa was going to do all the driving (as she has a license, unlike me!) but after a few trial runs she didn't fancy it so I stepped up! The scooter itself was pretty easy to drive, automatic transmission, excellent acceleration and brakes, but the surroundings in which you are driving took a bit of getting used to. There are literally thousands of other scooters on the road, as well as buses, cars and people, so you have to be acutely aware of what they are all doing too. Also, in Taipei, scooters are not allowed to turn left at intersections, meaning you have to use the green man for pedestrians and then park up in a little box reserved for scooters. So every left turn has to be done in two stages. Furthermore, there are a lot of roads or lanes of roads where scooters are not allowed, so you have to be careful in that respect too. We had at least one stray into a bus lane that we shouldn't have been in, and there was a lot of pulling over to consult the map, but overall it was a thrilling experience.

After we had picked up the scooter we headed back towards the hotel via the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, an impressive blue and white building where we watched the changing of the guards. Below is a picture of the building and a link to the Facebook album.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256992&id=777495416&l=aac862cd73

That night we headed to one of Taipei's famous night markets, though didn't buy anything, although we did have dinner nearby, which included some delicious lamb chops. I really miss lamb, you don't really get it in Korea at all.

The next day, we got up quite early and set off on the scooter to explore the Northern coast of Taiwan. We had a hard time getting out of Taipei at first, and manged to take a few dead ends before finding the correct route over the mountains, thanks to a helpful Taiwanese couple who we followed for a while, and who treated us to some fried sweet potato at a roadside cafe. We found Taiwanese people to be VERY friendly, I would say it is the most friendly nation I have been to in Asia so far. Here is a video of us riding along the mountain road. Be warned, it is loud!!!!

Once we reached the North coast the first stop was Yehliu Geopark, a outcrop of volcanic rock that due to wave action and erosion now has many strange formations on it.

We headed along the coast a bit further and stopped at a lighthouse at the northernmost point of Taiwan (the name escapes me), not quite Skerryvore but nice nonetheless.

Then along a little further to a beach where I went for a quick swim. The beach was very busy, and they weren't letting people go very far out, but the water was refreshing after being on the bike for most of the day.

The last stop on our tour was the town of Danshui, a popular spot for watching the sunset. We arrived just in time, and the sun did not disappoint.

After a quick dinner, it was back on the scooter again, only this time in the dark! Fortunately, there was a scooter lane most of the way back to Taipei, so we made it back safely, albeit very burnt and pretty tired! But we had a great day, so it was worth it.

Here is a video of a portion of the night ride back to Taipei. It's like something out of Wacky Racers!

The next day, we got up and rode to Taipei 101, currently the tallest completed skyscraper in the world (until the one in Dubai is finished). It certainly was huge, and the elevator up to the top (the fastest in the world) was amazingly quick. 5th-89th floors in under a minute. Here is a video of the display panel inside the elevator as we ascended

The views from the top were a bit hazy, but we were still able to get a good idea of the size of Taipei (about 6 million I think) and also how high up we were! After we headed back down we dropped the scooter off with Jeremy and caught the bus back to the airport for our afternoon flight back to Korea.

Looking up at Taipei 101.

Here's a couple of other photos from Lisa's camera.

The massive gold damper inside Taipei 101. It is designed to counteract wind forces on the tower (basically, the tower leans one way, it leans the other). It weighs over 600 tons!

So, that was Taiwan! I was very impressed, Taipei was a cool city, friendly people, things are pretty cheap, quite a lot to see, and flights from Korea were very cheap. I may well return before I leave this part of the world.

Talking of that, this week I have agreed a new contract extension with my bosses at GnB. I will now finish in April 2010, and my plan is to travel in South-East Asia for a month or so before flying home. Included in the extension contract is an agreement that I can go home for the Christmas/New Year period, and that I also have time off next month. Why? Because Stewartie is coming to visit! I'm so excited, it will be brilliant to see him and show him some of my life here and the sights Korea has to offer. He will arrive on 19th June and stay until the 1st of July, so that should be a good length of time to experience some of Korea I think.

And last but definitely not least, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to one of my best friends Neil Munro, who is getting married in July. He has been with his Korean girlfriend (Kyoungmi) for over a year and they seem very happy, so the wedding is planned for the 25th July in Seoul. Greg and I will be joint best men, so we have a stag doo and a speech of sorts to organise! I still can't believe it is happening, but they are so happy together I know it is the right thing for Neil to be doing.

Right, off to get ready for a wee night out with the boys.

Speak soon,

Beijing jing jing

Hello,

The original intention was to have one post-Beijing blog, but as will become clear in my next post, there is the need for two. This one will detail the Beijing trip only.

So, in what seems like an age ago, Greg and I headed out EARLY on Sat 2nd May to board our China Southern flight to Beijing. I was a bit apprehensive about CS but they turned out to be good, not excellent, but perfectly OK for a two hour flight. Upon arrival at Beijing airport we caught the airport express train into town and then rode the subway a few stops to get near our hostel. The hostel was called the Sleepy Inn, and rightly so. It was located in a 'hutong' which is a traditional area of Beijing. There used to be hundreds of 'hutongs' and they constituted the majority of housing in the inner city, but due to population increase and China's insatiable appetite for growth many have been bulldozed and replaced with faceless apartment blocks. Thankfully this is yet to happen to the one Sleepy Inn is located in, so we were greeted by meandering lanes filled with bicycles, a lake with old men fishing and playing mah-jong, and people generally taking it easy. Here's a couple of photos of the hostel entrance and the lake nearby.

After checking in and unpacking, we headed down to a clothes market to get suits fitted. I didn't have a suit before this trip, but after some hard bargaining we managed to get a deal. Mine cost around 120 pounds, which I think is a pretty good deal for a tailor-made suit! After all our bargaining we were pretty tired out so went went for dinner back near our hostel, and then headed out for a few beers.

The next day, it was up bright and early for a day of sightseeing in Beijing. First stop was Tiannamen square. it's the largest public square in the world, and we were glad it was so big, as there were thousands of people there. We had a stroll around, took lots of photos and drank lots of water (it was very hot!). At this point it's probably a good time to roll out the Facebook album link, here it is for our Beijing trip.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=252141&id=777495416&l=59c21b3dbf

We made our way over to the Gate of Heavenly Peace (the one in the above photo with the huge portrait of Chairman Mao on it) and passed underneath the Chairman's giant picture, all the time being watched by lots of Chinese guards. We continued on along with the crowds of other people and bought our tickets to the Forbidden City. Back in the day, only the emperor, his assistants, lady friends and other approved people had access to the place, these days, anyone with 60 Yuan can get in! It really is a massive place, lots of different buildings each with its own function, and miles of walls, paths and a huge moat encircling the whole thing. My photos don't really do it justice, I think it's one of those places you really have to see to believe. We made our way slowly through the complex and exited out the other end, slightly overwhelmed by it all.

After our morning exploring the history of the Forbidden City, it was time to see some more up-to-date structures, in the form of the main Olympic venues. A lengthy taxi ride eventually dropped us off at the 'Birds Nest' the nickname of the main Olympic stadium. It is an incredible piece of engineering, with all the girders intersecting and giving the birds-nest-like appearance.

Inside is equally impressive, it is huge. They have covered the running track and infield, so although you can't see where the athletes were treading it does mean you can walk around almost anywhere inside. Greg and I even did a bit of sunbathing in the middle! After some time soaking up the arena we exited and took a short walk over to the main aquatics centre, the 'Water Cube'. Another amazing structure, it has this translucent double skin in a honeycomb like structure, really cool. Unfortunately, some genius at the Cube decided to locate the ticket office on the other side of the entrance, so we had a long walk there and back before we could head inside. It was weird sitting in the grandstand staring down at a perfectly still swimming pool and watching the cleaning ladies at work. It made me want to go for a dip!

After seeing the Cube we headed back to the hostel, freshened up and headed out to our pre-booked table at a recommended Peking Duck restaurant. The duck was delicious, it comes already sliced and you make little parcels with onion, sauce and these thin pancakes, very tasty. We also had some deep-fried scorpions, which are my least favorite animal! I had to build myself up to do the first one, but they were definitely dead and didn't really taste of much, so it wasn't too bad really!

The next day, we caught a bus out to Badaling, the site of a restored section of the Great Wall Of China. There are various different bits of the Wall you can visit from Beijing, but Badaling is one of the most popular. There are those who say that it is perhaps not a good experience, being stuck on a restored section with hundreds of other people, but I really just wanted to see the Wall you see in books and postcards, and Badaling offers that. There were a lot of people, but for me it didn't detract from the experience. We hiked right up to the 'top' of our section of Wall, negotiating the crowds and steep gradients, but were rewarded with great views and the accomplishment of having climbed one of the new 7 wonders of the world. It's something I won't forget in a hurry.

Greg near the top of the Wall

Having hiked our way up, we thought we deserved a break so we hopped on the cable car for the journey down. Then it was back on the bus to Beijing, sweaty, but satisfied! That night we went to pick up our suits and do some more hard haggling to buy a few other bits and pieces (polo shirts and shorts for me)

Us with the tailors!

Our final day in Beijing was a bit more relaxed. We got up later, enjoyed bacon and eggs at the hostel, and then headed to the nearby lake where we hired a battery boat (basically a pedalo but you don't have to pedal) and headed out onto the lake for some initial boating and then latterly, sunbathing.

A hairy encounter on the lake. As you can see, the sea conditions were pretty nasty, I had to work really hard to keep the boat pointing in the right direction!

Sadly, we couldn't stay on the water forever so it was back to the hostel to pick up our bags, and then a taxi back to the airport for the flight back to Korea. When we got back to Incheon we met Lisa who was returning from her trip to Hong Kong, so we all shared a taxi back to Yeonsu-Dong together.

Overall, I was very impressed with Beijing. There is so much to see there, much more so than Seoul. Korea work hard to promote tourism but it is easy to see how they struggle to attract people given what Beijing, Tokyo and Hong Kong have compared to Seoul. I don't think I would like to live in Beijing, but for a visit, it was incredible.

To be continued........with Greg's birthday, the DJ festival, and a trip to Taiwan!