Check out the capsule hotel I stayed in on my latest trip to Japan. For about $40 you get access to a spa and tiny plastic coffin to sleep in. These things that look like a row of washing machines are the capsules. They include a small TV and radio and are pretty comfortable to sleep in, as long as you are not claustrophobic. Uniquely Japan.
A presidential election is just around the corner in good old Korea. That means that the many political parties are hot on the campaign junket. I live on the 10th floor, but that didn’t stop this group from spreading their campaign slogans and catchy dance moves into my home. In fact, I’m sure that if my building had 50 floors, the people on the top floor would have heard all the cheesy songs too. Check out their cute animal hats. Makes their campaign look really professional.
Korea has it’s own extensive list of celebrities, which are for the most part unknown in North America. Today I want to talk about the craziest and best show on Korean TV: 무한도전 or Moohandojeon (Infinite Challenge).
It is hard to describe this show, because it is completely unpredictable. It's like a comedy variety show that is totally unscripted . One week they could be dressed as superheroes cleaning the city streets, the next week they could be attempting to outrun a subway train. The challenges are usually pointless yet hilarious. Other stuff they’ve done: competed with a drain to see if they remove water faster from a pool than a natural drain can, tried to dig a whole faster than a bulldozer, randomly sang at people’s wedding’s uninvited, raced uphill in snow in a half pipe while being attacked by huge balls... to name a few. Apart from the crazy and goofy things they do, this show is mostly about the strong brotherhood that these six friends have.
NooHungCheol is probably biggest oddball of the group with his colored hair, beard ant tattoos (which are very unusual in Korea). He also wears crazy off the wall clothing. He is a former entertainment reporter. Apparently he invented that pose that they are doing now. This is also his car with his own face painted on it.
JungJunha is an actor and comedian. He also appears on some Korean dramas that are quite popular here.
Ha-Ha is a former rapper and probably the youngest of the group. Yes, his name is Ha-Ha.
PakMyeongSu is a former signer. In my opinion he is the funniest of the group with his unusual eyes and clumsy behavior. According to some, his strange eyes are a result of eye surgery, which is popular in Korea. He has been described as grumpy and the attention hog of the show.
YuJaeSeok is the leader of the group. He also hosts other shows, all which are very popular. He is known to be rich and Korean girls consider him to be “Mr. Right”. What do you think ladies?
JeongHyeongDon nicknamed “awkward pig” is a comedian, but mostly considered to be not that funny. In fact the other members often make fun of him and his terrible jokes. He is like the punching bag f the group.
This show is a like a friendly "jackass" without the pain. These guys aren't afraid to be goofy and will do any crazy thing for a laugh. If you get a chance to watch some Korean TV, check out this hilarious show!
After nearly two and a half years of waiting, I finally made my first trip back home. And what a crazy roller coaster of a trip it was. It all started with mass confusion at the airport after missing a flight from Japan, then a sleep over in the airport, then 24 hours of travel halfway around the world on several airplanes and buses.
After that it has been a pretty smooth vacation. The fall weather in New Brunswick has been unusually warm this year and I was lucky enough to be here to enjoy it living in the comfort of my parents' newly build home on the Saint John River shore.
Here we are trying on our suits before the wedding.
At the reception Jacques had a pretty funny prank prepared for Ivan and I. Since my older brother Ivan and I have yet to get married, Jacques and Tina thought it would be funny to set us up on dates. In the middle of the reception someone brought out a pair of blow-up doll ladies for us so we wouldn't feel lonely. Everyone had a good laugh at us. But revenge will be sweet my brother. Check out these huge pumpkins at at farm we visited.
Other events while at home: -My cousin Christine got married -I built a birdhouse from scratch that looks like a mini version of my parents' house -My parents cooked awesome food (This was the best part of the trip!) -I went on a trip to Boston -I ate more awesome food -Saw some old friends -Celebrated my brother Jacques and my dad's birthdays! I ate a lot while there thanks to my awesome parents who cooked up a storm. It was the perefect break away from the madness that is my life. Thanks guys!!! Maybe I’ll have to visit again. 50 days wasn't nearly long enough. Please send Canadian food to me in Korea... :(
On a scenic fall day, we got in the car and made the long trip to Boston. The leaves were changing colors making for a quite enjoyable trip through a postcard perfect New England landscape. We somehow bumped into the Stanley cup which was being shown on a tour. We also saw a Delorian being sold at an antique car show. What are the odds of seeing both in one day?
We made a few stops on the way but eventually made it to Boston. It was pretty busy. I wouldn’t recommend driving through there. After ditching the car and switching to subway for transportation, we got to enjoy some of the attractions such as the Boston Science Museum, the Faneui Marketplace, and of course the famous Cheers bar. Boston has a really nice mix of historic and modern that I really enjoyed.
I made a quick vacation stop in Tokyo before heading back to Canada for a few months of well deserved R&R. Check out some of the best pics of my trip. We went to Tokyo Disney Land, shopping down town, Tokyo Tower, and walked a lot. It all ended a little badly however as we ended up taking a wrong turn (or two) on the subway and missed our flight out. Apart from that we had a great time. Here are the rest of the pictures from our trip to Tokyo.
Here are some night shots of the city of Ulsan. Ulsan is an important industrial center in Korea. It's a factory town that is lit up at night like a mixture of Las Vegas and some alien planet. It has chemical plants, oil refineries, and a large sugar refinery. They manufacture automobiles, fertilizer, textiles, ships, aluminum... you name it. They also have an interesting beach scene with outdoor illegal gambling, barbecue stands, and live performances.
Koreans have a unique and dramatic way of protesting that some people might call overly extreme. An example of this is the man who recently threw a pile of excrement onto the meat isle at a grocery in order to protest the importing of American beef.
Heaundea is an insanely popular beach in Korea. Every summer it seems that every person in this country congregates here. It is so crowded that you have to pay to rent parasol space. It is so crowded that you can't swim without bumping into people. The board walks are swarming with people. Having said that, it is still nice to enjoy a salty dip into the ocean on a hot day. At night there are also free concerts and fireworks. On top of that, these pictures were taken on a day that is considered to not be busy! We even bumped into famous Korean rapper Steve. Click here to see more pictures of Heaundea.
Wow, I've been pretty busy there days. Sorry about the lack of updates. Things are still going well for me over here. I'm taking Korean lessons these days and enjoying it. It is summer time now and the monsoon season is ending. I think we can look forward to some warm weather coming up. I am still coming home to go to my brother's wedding in September. Look out Canada, here I come!
For now, here is the view form my apartment window. Nothing that exciting this time!
In a spur of the moment decisions we jumped on the bullet train from Busan city to Seoul. First, we visited the Insa-dong cultural market. We got directions from some French Canadians we bumped into. They pointed us to a nearby parade that was going on for Buddha’s birthday this week. Check out these cute monk babies. Next up was Namdaemun, Seoul’s South gate (pictured at the top). It is also the location of a huge outdoor bazaar. You can buy anything here, including several knock offs versions of each. We also visited some other surrounding shopping areas. We went shopping for hours at the Dongdaemun market, which is also the location of this, the East gate. The shopping centers are open here until 5am! After shopping till nearly dropping, we took a rest at Deoksugung Palace. CLICK for MORE pictures!!!
I recently moved to a new apartment building in the Haeundae area. Check out a satellite picture of my new pad. I'm on the 10th floor of the 15 story building in the center of the photo. Zoom out to see around the city and the near by beach area.
After burning in Bangkok a few days, I thought I would take a short trip to a nearby island called Ko Samed and check out the beaches there. More pictures of Ko Samed.
If you ever wanted the experience of being so hot you want to cry, I highly recommend Bangkok, Thailand for your next vacation destination! Check out these photos of around town. Just imagine you are 100 degrees to get the full effect.
Seomyeon is the downtown area of Busan. Here you can find shopping, restaurants, bars, casinos, and anything else you could imagine. There are signs everywhere of places competing for your attention. The narrow streets in this area are crowded and lively. Mmmm... squid snacks! Get your squid snacks!
Check out more picture of the Seomyeon streets and the crazy arcade there by clicking here.
