13-02-2005 15:56									#1
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I'm going to be Seoul for a week from Sunday 20 Feb. Anyone interested in getting together?

	13-02-2005 18:14									#2
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Boshko might be up for it...a bit out of my way though however...

	16-02-2005 17:29									#3
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Boshko! get over here!

	24-02-2005 07:07									#4
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I've been in Korea for a few days now - wow, great place.

Highlights so far - the most food I have ever seen served in a single meal. It was insane and we forgot our white flags. I paced myself but the Canadian guy next to me needed a lot of moral support, its okay buddy, you can make it.....he was going white as each new course came out - about 12 courses, over 50 dishes.......the waitress came out and asked if we had enough but we refused to be beaten. Only cost 80,000 korean won each!

I saw my future house - its in Itae-won on a place called "vegetable hill" (or accountants Hill to Koreans) and has a good view of the city. Its one street down from a big hill park and just behind the Hyatt Hotel. I look down on the US base and their quarters on the low ground (Muwahahaha!!!!!!!!) I found it hard to leave the house because the floor is heated. Damn cold here, we got snow Tuesday.

I've felt right at home here. I really like it.

anyways, better get back and attend the seminar for a few minutes so I can show up at the free lunch without a red face....

	24-02-2005 11:19									#5
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Boshko here. Just sent you a PM. I *think* that you're close to Yaksu subway station, so how about meeting there? I don't have to be at the job until 9 PM tomorrow so any time is fine.

quote: Highlights so far - the most food I have ever seen served in a single meal.

Hit you with the side dishes did they?

quote: Only cost 80,000 korean won each!

Aaaaah, a banquest meal. You've gotta go to some of the raw fish places. I once got a big ass meal of raw fish + alcohol for five people for just under 100,000.

quote: I saw my future house - its in Itae-won on a place called "vegetable hill"

Just be happy that you're not on the much much more famous nearby "Hooker Hill."

quote: I found it hard to leave the house because the floor is heated.

Nice aren't they?

	24-02-2005 11:32									#6
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Or since you know where Itaewon is I could go there. Don't know where too many good korean restaurants are there, but I know some good bars in the area and in korea you can ALWAYS find galbi (grilled rib meat, good stuff).

	24-02-2005 12:00									#7
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Glad to see you're enjoying it there.

There should be a China meet!

	24-02-2005 13:29									#8
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yeah I'm being sent here to basically help organise the invasion of China - so see you in Beijing

Boshko, I Pmed you. If Yaksu station is at the bottom of the hill below the Shilla, I know it.

Maybe we could go to Itaiwon on the subway from there? I'm easy.

Another interesting factoid - a smallish ball pruned tree at my future house is worth $250,000 USD

Why, I'm not sure....

I'm been watching a lot of the US armed forces TV with a sort of morbid fascination......and today 4 new attack helicopters were delivered at Yongsan.....

	24-02-2005 13:40									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Boshko Hit you with the side dishes did they?

Side dishes? It was more like they were directing every morsel of food in the restaurant to our table. It almost seemed as if there had been giant mistake in the kitchen and we were gettng every order

The food was arriving at incredible speed, faster than we could eat it. They were taking stuff away before before we could finish it. You'd have your spoon or chopsticks poised and the bowl you were eating from would disappear. I've never seen anything like it. I thought they might have been clearing the restaurant for a busload of people. But why did the food keep coming?????

The restaurant is award winning, just below the Shilla.

We had a buffet lunch at the restuarant on top of the Shilla today and that was also excellent. But once again we were wrongfooted. People loaded up their plates thinking the buffet was the main course and then waiters started appearing and explained that was just the entre and they needed to take our orders for the main course, which was steak! Those at the earlier dinner were thinking oh no - not again

Strangely I haven't seen any fat Koreans.....

	24-02-2005 17:03									#10
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"Strangely I haven't seen any fat Koreans....."

There are many fat kids, but they all go through miliary training which whips most of 'em into shape.

The tree is one of those traditional national treasure crafts, like bonsai tree growing in Japan.

Avoid the Indian place that looks really posh, the one next to it that looks kinda run down is way better (in Itaewon).

Remember to hit nam dae mun for your market place experience!

What sort of hosts/guide have the set you up with?

Some interesting notes: Scooters of less than 250 cc can be driven by foreigners (waygooks) without a license so it's the long term waygook transportation.

GET A SUBWAY MAP. Seoul has one of the largest and best public transportation networks outside of japan, and since getting to places is usually dependant on landmarks, not addresses (note the little maps in all the advertisements), it's going to be how you meet people and find things.

KNOW YOUR DONG: Knowing what '-gu' you are in is also really helpful. dong is a kinda of 'area', like neighbourhood, and is another method of navigating in a city with few street names. Gu is the larger version and cooresponds to the American 'borough' or district. I believe Itae'won is it's own gu, not sure?

You don't have to eat dog/whale/live sea creatures if you don't want to, or eat the whole chili in the traditional korean drinking game, but it will impress your hosts if you do.

I really miss Korea. Especially now in February. I miss it so much actually. Any openings at that SAT hagwon Boshko? And what was the name of the good indian place!? Moghul?

	24-02-2005 17:37									#11
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If yaksu isn't the one right next to you its DAMN close. If yaksu isn't it just get a taxi to it (taxis be cheap as long as you avoid the evil over-charging black ones) or take the subway a stop or two (the subway's really easy to navigate).

Yaksu is where two lines cross, so I can either take you south across the area to my neighborhood (3 stops) or on the other line back to itaewon (3 stops).

	25-02-2005 06:52									#12
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don't worry I'll find it - I'll have a grey felt overcoat on.

up to you where we go, I really don't mind. it will be great just to meet up with someone I haven't been in meetings with all week

	25-02-2005 07:03									#13
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quote: Strangely I haven't seen any fat Koreans.....

Well the standard korean lunch/breakfast is rice, kimchi, a light and slightly spicy bean sprout soup and maybe a bit of fish or nori. Most old style korean home cooking food is very very light on meat or fat of any kind. Restaurant food tends to be a good bit more meaty and unhealthy but still not too bad generally.

Cya soon horsie...

	25-02-2005 08:10									#14
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Horse,

I'm holding the sign that says,"OT I'd Hit It " and am standing next to the phone booth.

	25-02-2005 11:37									#15
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If you're white and meeting someone in Korea you don't need no freaking sign.

Anyway, good to meet you Horsie and if you need any help when you move in in August I'd be happy to give you a hand, I probably know the area where you'll be living better than most of your coworkers. For example, behind the GI bar that I pointed out is the best grocery store in the area (its the only place I can find Nutella for example) and its pretty cheap.

	26-02-2005 07:10									#16
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Thanks Boshko, we'll invite you and your fiance round to the house for dinner or lunch or something.

I should be there around the middle of August.

Very impressed with Korea. I'm in the honeymoon period when everything looks good.

Hey Ted, Boshko and I walked up hooker hill so I know where to take you if you visit.....

	26-02-2005 08:06									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse Thanks Boshko, we'll invite you and your fiance round to the house for dinner or lunch or something. I should be there around the middle of August. Very impressed with Korea. I'm in the honeymoon period when everything looks good. Hey Ted, Boshko and I walked up hooker hill so I know where to take you if you visit.....

Also, I think you said that your kids would go to Seoul International School or something like that? I think I might have a couple of my students going there if you want a kid's opinion of it, I've also got a class full of students all from Seoul Foreign School....

	26-02-2005 08:09									#18
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quote: KNOW YOUR DONG

Yes, sir!

	26-02-2005 12:40									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse Thanks Boshko, we'll invite you and your fiance round to the house for dinner or lunch or something. I should be there around the middle of August. Very impressed with Korea. I'm in the honeymoon period when everything looks good. Hey Ted, Boshko and I walked up hooker hill so I know where to take you if you visit.....

	26-02-2005 15:21									#20
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It was dreadful

but I'm sure you'd hit it....

	26-02-2005 17:19									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse It was dreadful but I'm sure you'd hit it....

We'd have to reserve a place for him at man only In & Out massage parlor

	26-02-2005 17:26									#22
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even though I have no business in this thread, I find this fascinating.. keep on going.. tell me more about the gu's and meals and trees and subways.. no I'm not taking a piss at you, I actually enjoy reading this thread genuinely. I've always been a bit weak for Asian stuff, the people and all the things, and now I'm one step from being full blown out of the closet fan so keep it going... yeah...

oh PS. is it a great idea to meet at any Asian subway station, or is this just my stereotype racist image, where there are at elast 2 million same looking dudes bumping into each other like in Japanese metro? It's METRO damn it, not subway.. take that and jam it up your tube.

	26-02-2005 17:27									#23
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HEY you guys, can you post some pics please?

	27-02-2005 01:54									#24
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I got pictures but not on this comp right now.