Day 66: A House is Not a Home

Especially when no one is living there. My friend and i stumbled upon this monster three story house in Hongdae of all places, with the oddest design (very Western) and strangest add-ons. The all brick exterior is cool, but then you throw in that small little wood alcove on the third floor; it was either intentional or an add-on. The house looks new enough to be an add-on, but if you'd seen the house you'd notice that that was the least strange of it. On the second floor you can see a door and a small, i mean very small, balcony. My question is this: Where is the door leading? The door looks to be like a front door, not just a balcony door, and so you have this door that leads nowhere on the second floor. All around the windows and doors are these black plastic boxes or something, first thought to be lights, but there is no rhyme or reason to their placement, so I doubt they are lights. Then I thought perhaps it's part of their ADT security, as they do looked to be electrical in nature. In any case, from the outside, it looked as if this house was completely empty and uninhabited, even though the windows were open and the balcony doors above the 2 car garage were sprung outward. I don't know what to make of this house, except that even in America people would wonder what kind of funk is going down.

Day 65: Hello...Kitty

Nothing says 'we hate Japan' and 'We are Korea!' better than Hello Kitty, because while you may be able to greet her, like a good, well-behaved girl, she doesn't talk back. You know, I'd expect a cafe like this around Ehwa, someplace in Hongdae, or even in Myeongdong, but I was quite shocked when I stumbled upon it in Shinchon. It makes me chuckle because you can eat some pasta at CM's Box, get hammered at Osama's Bar, and then sober up at the Hello Kitty Cafe, all within a 2 minute walk from each other. I wanted to go inside, but the guy I was with was a little less enthusiastic about the whole thing. But you know guys and dolls, let me leave you with something creepy yet awesome. Every time I think of Hello Kitty, I imagine a creepy, pervy British guy (sorry Nick) in a voice fit for an old man trying to get some saying 'Hello, Kitty'.

Day 64: Cooking Up a Storm

Sometimes I feel like I need to post pictures of places not in the same places I've been posting, but all the cool and interesting stuff are seriously located in the places I post. This particular place, located in Hongdae, is a restaurant filled with Italian food. And yes, it is in the shape of a giant, old European cook book. Guys and Dolls, how cool is this?! Granted, the recipes in the cook book don't correspond to the food in the restaurant, but how many places are made to look like a giant European cook book? Not many, that's how many! This is quite the popular place, too, and families like to bring their children (so I didn't eat there when I took the pictures because as we all know, Tim hates children as much as Tim hates Soviets, and I sure do hate me some Soviets). And yes, in case you are wondering, that is a garage at the base of the right page under the window. There are some epic fails when it comes to restaurant decor in Korea, but guys and dolls, this is and epic win!

Day 63: Wine Away

A short post today. Ah yes, wine bars. In America we have bars that serve wine, and most places may in fact serve wine, but Korea enjoys separating high class from low class through wine and liquor. Granted, other places play a similar game, but if you like wine in Korea it usually means you have some class. These types of wine bars have been popping up all over Seoul, this one a stone's throw from my house, but I find it interesting the wine culture in Korea, most of it more whimsical and a fallacy of people attempting to 'play high class' rather than actually knowing what they are drinking. I often wonder if people like the taste of wine or simply like the attention of others thinking they like the taste of wine. Sure, this is no different from other places, but wine has always carried with it a mark of 'I am better than you', and it is interesting, nothing more, to see such marks carried overseas to Korea.

Day 62: French Things Always Smell Good

You know, before I came across this place I never thought I'd be the kind of guy who'd enjoy a tart. I saw egg tarts and never found them that appealing, but just like common misconceptions that soccer is a game in which you sock the other person, causing physical pain, I was mistaken as to what a tart is. Granted, Le Bone Tart may not be the expert in tart making, but their assortment of tarts is enough proof for me to believe they have a stake in the tart-making business. After eating the chocolate almond tart, I came to a very sobering conclusion: A tart is like a smaller piece of pie, like pecan pie. I'm sure there is something special that makes a tart a tart and a pie a pie, and honestly I could care less about what that difference is so please don't 'do be a favor' and comment because I'll just ignore it anyways. But tarts are pretty bitchin', either way. I believe that you can find just about any type of food and/or beverage in Korea that you could normally get in other countries (save things like lion burgers and cat). This place has been here for at least three years, and doesn't seem to be shy of customers; perhaps the French outfits the ladies wear are an indication why.

Day 61: Multiple Jobs

Anyone who lives at or near the East Gate of Yonsei University, or go to school around here are probably quite familiar with this little 식당 (restaurant). This is, easily, one of the best 돈까스 (deep fried pork cutlet) in all of Korea. The menu contains many different types, from cheese to kimchi, uber spicy, and sweet potato. The outside of the place doesn't look all that appealing, but the minute you step inside it looks unlike any place you've probably eaten. The cook is not only a master deep fried pork cutlet chef but an amateur painter and photographer (he is Korean, after all). The inside has the walls covered in murals, albeit open to interpretation as to its 'quality', but it certainly doesn't fit the bill for your normal restaurant in Korea, especially in the area when the vast majority of places are pasta and way too expensive. The cook, and his wife incidentally, make friends with many of the regulars that come in, often foreigners at one of the three or four programs at Yonsei at the East Gate (KLI, GSIS, UIC, Exchange Program). This is a must go to place for anyone coming or already in Korea. Guys and Dolls, not even Martha can cook like this! And hell, she's got herself a show, magazine, and towel line at Target!

Day 60: Illegally Legal

So, you all may be wondering what this picture is and what it says. Well, the Korean isn't as important as what they are serving. You all know I love me some chicken, especially boneless chicken tenders. Well, guys and dolls, this place takes that love of boneless fried chicken tenders to a completely new level. This place, located on the streets of 이대 (Ehwa Womens University), has bite-sized boneless fried chicken mixed together with rice cakes (떡) in a sweet yet spicy sauce, complete with some tater-tots. I swear to god, this is both the best thing ever created and the worst: the taste rivals the most expensive food but the calorie and fat intake, dear lord, has to be terrible. This is actually one of many more cart food places that serve the same thing, counting 4 within a 2 mile radius. However, on a much larger scale, these places that serve food on the street (street food if you will) are both a cultural gem and a legal conundrum. If you include the food and the street vendors that sell clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. that can be found lining the streets of Myeongdong, Shinchon, and any number of places, it would seem as if it were completely legal. In all actually, until recently, all of it was illegal, on a massive scale. There is this notion in Korea that space is not easily owned, and so public space belongs to whoever stands there and sells things first. Because this has grown into such an embedded concept in Korea's daily practice, it cannot easily be 'legalized' given the current Korean legal system. So, from what I've noticed, there seem to be certain days, at least here in 이대, where all the vendors go on 'vacation', which happens to coincide with the same day police patrol the area. Only recently have I seen some vendors with official government seals and carts stamped on them, indicating that they are trying to legalize some of these vendors. But the vast majority still operate completely outside the law. Imagine if hot dog vendors could just plant themselves anywhere they wanted in America.... we may just run out of hot dogs!

Day 59: 8 Steps to Dating My Stomach

In one of my favorite parts of Seoul, Samcheon-dong, exists a little restaurant with some of the most fabulous food I've had the chance to eat in Korea. Does this place serve Korean food? No it does not. Does it serve pasta? While it does have pasta, it's main attraction is not so. Guys and dolls, this place serves some of the best French food one can find in Korea. Each course is a show, and for the main course, you can choose from a variety of pastas, if you want to live a boring life and play into the whole idea that pasta is a date food, or you can try their chicken, scallops, or beef fillet, all prepared in a special French way, whatever that means. There are only about 6 tables or so in this place, and a few on the patio, but the interior looks to be taken from a winter lodge in the States. I've been there both for a meal and simply coffee and desert, both times quite exquisite. Also, the main server is quite handsome, and we all know that's a big plus. The name of this place, you ask? It is easy to remember, has no real significance though in meaning: 8 Steps.

Day 58: Soupy Soup

I enjoy soup. I do, there is no lying here guys and dolls. When I was a kid, one of my favorite meals was chicken noodle soup and PB&J sammiches. I liked dipping the sammich into the soup and make it all soggy. Sure, it sounds gross, but we all know it tastes like magic and sunshine. Korea has some of the best soup-related products around. The picture above houses my favorite kind of soup-related product and also my favorite place that serves said soup-related product: 설농탕 (this one is a bitch to romanize, so I'm just going to leave it blank). It's a beef-broth soup, ever so lightly seasoned, with slices of beef, noodles, and green onions. Some like to eat it as it is, some may add some salt and pepper. Me? I go all out, traditional Korean baby. I add loads of kimchi (which is spicy), black pepper, and then I put the rice they give me into the soup to make it all soggy. The result is nothing shy of perfection any time of the day. I swear to god, I've gone days eating nothing but this. This place, though, kicks it up a notch by combining my two favorite foods, the 설농탕 and 만두국 (dumpling soup). So inside the soup there are some large, oh so delicious dumplings. Guys and dolls, this is certainly a good thing.

Day 57: Unicorns and Daffodils

For years they had been building this tall, 15 story building in Shinchon, causing all sorts of inconvenient times for those of us who frequent this location. Earlier in the year they finally unveiled UPLEX, an addition to the Hyundai Department Store. The concept of UPLEX is similar to the Lotte Young Plaza in Myeongdong: more affordable brands such as the Gap, Teenie Weenie, Buckaroo Jeans, and other Korean and foreign brands (no Zara yet) that are supposed to appeal to younger folks. This makes sense, considering that a five minute walk down the road places you smack-dab in the front of Yonsei University. Shinchon is known to be frequented by students and youngins on a daily basis, especially the weekend, so the attempt to turn Shinchon into a possible shopping district is underway. The appeal? Why, you can get your shopping done, eat some dinner, and get hammered all in a 2 minute walk radius. The downside is that the streets of Shinchon are still way too narrow for the amount of people traffic it handles, especially on the weekends. My solution is this: close down the roads that go through central Shinchon, from the train station to the front of Yonsei, and turn the street into a massive plaza/mall, similar to Myeongdong. Sure, it will take a little longer by car to get to whatever destination you are heading for, but I believe that more businesses and higher quality can then move in. Will this be achieved? I highly doubt it. But, one can dream. I choose to dream of unicorns and talking dogs.

Day 56: Kings, Queens, and Eye Glasses

By the look of it, you'd think this is would house one of the following things: royalty, a deity, the Tower of London, a roller coaster, or Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. But alas, dear children of the corn, this place houses the most logical thing to house in a place that looks like this: glasses. I believe that the trend to wear glasses started in Korea, or at the very least we should thank Korea for taking what perhaps was an emerging trend and catapulted it into a global style. In Korea, even people who don't have to wear glasses do only because they think they look cool. Therefore, shops like this (well not exactly like this) are found virtually everywhere in Korea, selling glasses that range in price. Part of the appeal in Korea is that you can walk into any glasses shop and obtain a free eye exam; you no longer need to actually see the eye doctor. The only thing you pay for are the frames and the lenses, but the lenses are relatively cheap, as too the frames can be. This particular place, when they first opened, had a carriage and knights outside for picture time, and it was cool then. Now I'm not too sure, but one thing is for certain: in Korea, placing one eye glass shop next to another eye glass shop is in no way retarded.

Day 55: Baked Goodies

Perhaps one of the most surprising things I had found when I came to Korea for the first time was the deluge of bakeries, and the way these have turned into chains all through Korea. The one pictures here, Paris Baguette, is a personal favorite because when I think of Paris I do in fact think of yummy baked goods. So I naturally trust anything with the name Paris on it, besides that which could possibly be associated with one of the Hilton sisters. They recently re-vamped this chain into Paris Baguette Cafe, making it more of a date place rather than, what I use it for, a place to buy bread to eat in the comfort of my own home. The best bread will be bought not in grocery stores, but in bakeries (makes enough sense), but there are also tons of special baked goods. For example, hot dog bread, spinach scones, pizza bread, and so many more. You'd first think 'ewww' but surprisingly they are all quite good, and of high enough quality given the price. All in all, Paris does not necessarily have to feel as if their name is being sullied in anyway. Bakeries in Korea, they're a good thing.

Day 54: Sophisticated Taste

Underneath the Seoul Finance Center is a deluge of amazing restaurants and cafes. There are three full basement floors of stuff, most of it quite expensive. My friend and I were there today after lunch for coffee because it was raining outside and came across this place. On the B1 floor there is your regular Coffee Bean, but on B2 there is this Coffee Bean pictured to the right that looks like an old-fashion saloon of sorts. The entire inside is dark wood paneled with coffee barrels all around. There are only leather chairs, and not that many, therefore indicating a rather intimate setting as opposed to the loud coffee shops. This took me completely by surprise, because while it fits perfectly with the setting of the underground shopping, I had never seen a Coffee Bean like this. The menu, as well, only contained coffee and tea, either hot or cold, and no other variations. They had an impressive selection of different teas and roasts of coffee, for a little bit more in terms of price. But all in all, the atmosphere and shock of such a place, with a nice combination of jazz and big band music playing, made for a good time.

Day 53: Water Water Everywhere

Well guys and dolls, it sure is getting toasty outside, and not in the way that you could make yourself some toast, though that would be nice. The weather is hot, and I do hate hot weather, no matter how you look at it! In Korea, when it gets hot, water magically shoots up from the streets to cool its people down. This is one such spot, located on the backside of Myeongdong (명동), where not only does water pulsate from the concrete, it is lit up with greens and reds and blues and oranges. On weekends, you can see little boys and girls running through the water as if they hadn't taken a bath in weeks, parents talking about nonsense, and the vast majority of Korean guys between the ages of 18 and 36 taking pictures of the scene, or of their girlfriends posing awkwardly as if to really say 'dear lord, could you perhaps get a less sheep-like hobby that doesn't make you look like a total tool?' Ah yes, summer is certainly here guys and dolls, and you know what that means: sexy summer wear!

Day 52: Uh... OK

I always wondered if they sell different clothing in the Uni Qlo in Japan than in Korea, because I have to figure out which to blame/thank for the t-shirt to our left. Now two of the words I recognize: The first being Japanese and the last being, well, being sky. Now I've tried to figure out the middle two words, and am stumped. A simple google search has afforded me only a cute Asian guy wearing this shirt and talking to his shoe. So our choices are: Nothing in particular or lunacy. Like most things, I'm sure it's a combination of both. Therefore, I shall take it upon myself to declare that 'Hotto Num I'n Sky' is the new motto of summer in Korea (and sure, let's throw Japan in there as well, you know, because it's Uni Qlo). And what does this motto stand for? Well, as it looks like something written in Latin that only people who studied law or the Classics would understand, let's go with "Beware [of the] falling red sky". I feel like this motto summarizes summer quite nicely, because you know, if red stuff starts plummeting from the sky during summer, or really any other time of the year, you know something's up, probably the Apocalypse, stray fireworks, or falling pomegranates.

Day 51: Schools, Books, and Cafes

One of the first cafes I went to in Korea is pictures to the right: Princeton Square. With a name like that I'm sure you'd all expect something fancy, pricey, and filled with snobs. Well, you'd be correct. It calls itself a 'library cafe', meaning that there are walls with lots of books on them. But, unlike a library, you can't actually check the books out, nor are they in any particular order or following any dewy decimal system. Rather, they are just a bunch of random Korean books on shelves for you to look at while you drink your expensive coffee beverage. It was here, guys and dolls, that I discovered coffee boys. I talk a lot about these infamous coffee boys in Korea, but it was back in 2007 when I was sitting inside this cafe, studying with my friend, that I realized something very life changing: Cafes in Korea try to only hire good looking boys. This offsets the high cost of the coffee, and oftentimes the low quality of their product, because at the end of the day, you really only go into a cafe like this for one of two reasons: the atmosphere or the workers (or both). Hell, I don't even know how good the coffee at Princeton Square is, I only go for the eye candy. Anyone who tells you differently is lying, plain and simple. Because, guys and dolls, if you want good coffee you go to your regular joints that have good coffee (Starbucks, Caribou, etc.), you don't go to some unknown cafe. Unless they roast their own beans, which most do not, it's just coffee they buy wholesale, probably from COSCO. It's all about the boys, plain and simple.

Day 50: Casa at 50

I feel like I've been doing this forever now, but it's only been 50 days (well longer considering I hardly update on the weekends because I am out being cool and stuff). I figured, what better way to celebrate the halfway mark than with my favorite cafe in all of Korea: Casa Della Luce. I have actually been going to this cafe since they opened more than two years ago. I remember going in one October or so to study in the morning and, to this day, the most handsome coffee boy recognized me and gave me a free iced americano. Well, needless to say, i was hooked and continued to go there on a regular basis, usually 4 to 5 times a week. When they started serving sandwiches, it was a regular lunch place for me. The problem was, others soon caught on and started going as well. But the owner, and the boy, still recognized me and greeted me warmly every time I walked in. Then he just disappeared. I was sad for a while, until they replaced him with another cute guy, more feminine this time (pretty sure he swung this way), but still wasn't as nice as the first guy. He eventually left and they hired another guy, but he doesn't work downstairs anymore; he is reserved for upstairs along with the other cute guy who, I believe, manages the joint (at least the fancy Italian restaurant upstairs). I don't go there as often, I guess because it has become too popular and there is no good eye candy, but every time I do they recognize me, warmly greet me, and always manage to give me something free.

Day 49: German Pasta

The first time I saw this building I thought of the most natural thing one would think of upon viewing said building: Sausages. Come on now, I feel like this building was plucked out of Germany or Holland and am expecting to hear some yodeling one of these days. When I first moved to Korea, this building actually did house a restaurant that served meat, but it wasn't necessarily German or European meat. They soon closed down and the next best thing moved in: Pasta. When a restaurant or store closes down, one of three things will ALWAYS pop up to fill the space: Italian food, Starbucks, or a cellphone store. A few weeks ago this Korean restaurant all of 2 minutes away from this place closed down, and the put in another Italian restaurant. That brought the total number of Italian places in a 2 minute walking distance of each other (and my house) to six. This place pictures, though, is quite good. They have good soup and salad, and their pasta isn't half bad. But what I love more than the food is the image of Italian food overtaking German food; the image of Mussolini overtaking Hitler is quite a picture/ thought to ponder as it plays out in Korean-food politics.

Day 48: Vikings in Korea

From time to time, I wonder if Korea completely misses a time period, like they are aiming for something late 19th century and end up in Iceland around the year 900. This is a cup... sort of... on my desk that I use to keep assorted pens and pencils and the occasional pair of scissors. The thing weighs as much as a 2 year old Norwegian baby and made out of pure metal. The decor of the cup? It looks like something Askold would be drinking his mead out of as he eats large legs of elk and bangs himself a couple of village lasses. If you look carefully, or simply wander and get yourself lost, you can stumble upon some of the most out of place, in terms of time period, things in Korea. There is a row of houses in Hongdae that look to be taken from the 90s in San Fransisco, and also an entire apartment complex that looks as if it were built in the 70s or 80s in Tampa up in the mountain village of 부암동, the place with the Coffee Prince house that I posted about a while ago. I love these little black sheep architectural sites in Korea, but sometimes merchandise, not to mention fashion, seem to misconstrue something that should experience a revival and something that should simply stay on the D-Lo.

Day 47: One Day at a Time

You know, I'm the kind of guy who needs to write something down or else I'll forget it. So, it only makes sense, that I keep myself a planner to keep in order my schedule. In this day and age, I can easily keep my schedule on any number of electronic devices, including gmail. While I do like the gmail calender, something about physically keeping a schedule and the act of crossing things of a list is very fulfilling, something that no electronic schedule can do. Koreans have the right idea, then, making planners en mass with some of the most interesting ideas and concepts. At the end of the year, bookstores are lined with a massive amount of planners, ranging from very simple or business-like planners, to travel themed, kitten themed, and even Alice in Wonderland. As much as I love all these planners, for the past three years I've taken the road with multiple meanings: The Starbucks Planner. Basically, if I buy enough of their drinks, they give me their planner for free. I will certainly be sad when I go home and no longer able to have access to Korean planners, especially the specially made Korean Starbucks planner that I always look forward to.

Day 46: The Department of Department Stores

The two big department stores in Korea are of course Lotte and Hyundai. Both are fine department stores, depending on the location (Gangnam has the better Hyundai while Myeongdong has the better Lotte). But among all this bickering between these two department stores, few realize that actually the largest retailer and the oldest department store is Shinsegae, which literally means 'New World'. This particular one is a favorite of mine, located downtown near Namdaemun and Seoul Station, because the outside looks European and the inside is simply gorgeous. Luxury takes on a new name when you walk into this department store. The building itself is quite the fixture in Seoul, for during the Christmas Season it is covered in lights and lights up this famous intersection. Shinsegae in Busan is actually the world's largest department store, surpassing Macy's in NYC. They also own E-Mart, one of the largest discounted Wal-mart style stores in Korea. Needless to say, even though not many people recognize the mere existence of Shinsegae, it is the best Korea has to offer when it comes to department stores and luxury items.