Total Recall Pop Quiz

The 2012 Total Recall movie has some nifty futuristic machines, vehicles, weaponry.

One of them were the police vehicle.

Pop Quiz: Can you read what is written on it? It's Hangeul. So time for a quick test. (it might be too easy!)

Before knowing hangeul, I obviously thought it should read "Police" in Korean.

"Police" in Korean is gyeongchal.

So have you got the correct answer?
ANSWER: yi sib o.
Means: twenty five.

Two nights on a comfy single bed goshiwon style

There's nothing better than a firm bed. A bed shouldn't be too soft, nor hard like a floor. But firm is a combination of both strength and malleability. It should be able to support our body weight especially at space on the trough of the lumbar curve, the hips, the parts where our body has more mass.

As a comparison: There more often too much "softness" in hotel beds, 5 star hotels and Tune Hotel's bed. The new tech honeycomb design, with air pocket sponge doesn't treat the body well.

So back to my short story. I'm living in a goshiwon with a strong firm bed that is still comfortably not hard. Well you have to think as the goshiwon owner. Perhaps it should last 5 years of "heavy duty" usage by dozens of students renting the place, in and out throughout the year. Investing in a proper quality bed would seem expensive but eventually it would last long instead of a yearly change of bed.

Besides the condition of the bed, the positioning is a winner. The reason I am emphasizing this aspect is that most other goshiwon, the bed position is stuck at a corner whereby it is lodged onto a section of a desk or table, whereby your legs (or if you choose your head position) will be just beneath that extra real estate of a flat tabletop.

Here's my current bed. Do check out other pages with goshiwon and compare the photo of the bed position. Else there are plenty of hotels, motels, guesthouses. Local people even though living within Seoul area uses motel/hotel when they rather stay a night than travel back to outskirts or suburbs. So there are plenty of choices and price range.

1980's style filter to suit the "ambiance"!

Crayon Pop Bar Bar Bar is current dance craze

After Psy's "Gangnam Style" horse-dance moves, is there anyone out there to challenge him with a better catchier dance move of the century? Apparently NOT.

But you have to give it to the Korean pop industry. The music industry. The entertainment industry. It is an industry. Huge budgets, marketing, training (you need to train several YEARS before you are even allowed to "DEBUT").

I was at this festival in Hwaseong Fortress on Sunday, and they had some stage event going on. There were kids on stage and the MC was cajoling them to start dancing. I was told this is the latest craze. "Bar Bar Bar". Well, I chuckled in my mind. Cos in Thai language, "bar bar bar" means "crazy crazy crazy". So definitely a funny crazy fun song.

Here's some screen captures and I made a Album Art for your mp3.

Download album art directly.

Koppi Juseyo mentioned in other blogs

A little experiment onto Google: search "koppi juseyo" as I am spelling it this way.

Here are the interesting results and important snippets/quotes:

http://123learnkorean.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/learn-korean-daily-leson-89-would-you-like-some-coffee/
커피 드실래요? (Would you like some coffee?)

http://captainandclark.com/2011/12/12/foreigners-say-the-darnest-things/

A few months later we were telling our Korean friends all of the Korean words and expressions that we knew.  We told them that we were getting along fine and could even order our own coffee.  “KOPI JUSEYO” we exclaimed.  Our friends erupted in uncontrollable laughter.  Apparently we were supposed to say “kuhpi” (커피), not “kopi” (코피).  The whole time we had been asking for bloody noses, not coffee.

This link with lots of pretty coffee photos:
http://blog.daum.net/thfkqlc1127/480

Baristar coffee brought by Yerim when I was living in BKK.

Day Zero Incheon Airport to Dongtan-myeon

Before the days past, I should backtrack into Day Zero. Which is the day I arrived in Incheon Airport. My friend Yerim took the big effort to come all the way to the airport from her hometown, 2 hours away.

Eating breakfast at CU in the airport with Yerim.

Our meeting point was the huge CU (formerly Family Mart) Convenience Store within the airport nearby the train exit area. Thus essentially away from the crowded inner court or arrival halls. Best of all, there are ample of seats for people who want to buy some dosirak, kimbap, coffee, milk and eat them there.

I had the bulgogi set and coffee with milk.

Previously I had hosted Yerim in Bangkok. So she's eager to host me for the day, on top of helping me find my goshiwon. The obvious choice was to look at Hongdae area.

AREX airport express rail.
Fast clean affordable.
Plenty of seats.
Announcements in all major languages including
Chinese and Japanese.

Some colourful plants at Yerim's place.

Along the way, on the bus.

View from top of my goshiwon in Hongdae

More photos in this post.

Good view. This is about 7th floor high.

Communications mini-tower.

Pretty buses. Neat.

Hot Day in Hongdae

Temperature went up today. Bright sunny atmosphere means alot of people are out on the streets.

Mapo happened to be my hometown.

Socks. They love it. Watch "Secret Garden" and there is Oskar socks worn by Ha Jiwon.

More socks and very sunny backdrop.

Many street art stuff on sale in Hongdae. 

Some parts of Seoul has the old Bangkok charm.
Electrical wiring.

It was so hot, the local mini-supermarket was offering 30% discount on various ice-cream. I had to buy a set of metal chopsticks and spoon. (see previous post).

Plus this neat drink: Cheon Yeon Cider.

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