the weirdest thing in korea

I've been here for almost 3 weeks now, and it certainly does feel like I've been here longer. There have been many strange things in Korea I've encountered so far, for example, tanks of live squid and octopus (adjacent to those creatures were some, no, the most putrid sea creatures I've ever seen - phallic WORMS with no faces and fetus colored semi translucent bodies. I'll post a picture soon), an estranged Brokeback/intoxicated Korean business-man couple on the subway, the StarCraft channel, Korean girls in general, and the infinite number of 노래방s (Karaoke Rooms) and overpriced cafes...

None are even comparable to this one...

Remember the crane games that you used to play as a kid? The ones with all the plush dolls of Donald Duck that you didn't really want but couldn't bear to see behind a glass case? Yeah, the game in the back of Pizza Hut, you know what I'm talking about. In Korea they have those crane games scattered all over the streets of Seoul for the drunks to win a variety of prizes - power drills, packages of gum, Zippo knockoffs, and a few plush toys here and there.

Oh, and this.

That is a lobster. Inside a glass case. Inside a CRANE GAME!!!!!

steve buscemi

Some good 'ol Kimchi (con queso?)...

Samgyubsal, which are pork slices made for grilling.

An old fashioned octopus leg. Definitely dinner tomorrow night.

And Bulgolgi with a raw egg on top (using my new lens!)

Food has been delicious.

hungy? why waet?

Kevin from LA and Lance from Kansas City at Korean BBQ!

I don't know what's going on here but I like it.

pc 방

It's 5:21 am and I am not sleeping in my dorm. Depsite how bad I want to be in my bed, I am currently in a dirty, smoky internet cafe waiting for the subway to open. I was at a coffee shop late with a friend (in fact, it was the most expensive coffee shop I have ever been to in my life. Talk about a $12 cup of coffee!) and I accidentally missed the last train, which was slightly before midnight. One would think that the subway would stay open later on a Friday night... It came as a shock to me when I looked at my money clip to only discover that I did not have enough for a cab back. The ATMs in Korea rejected my Bank of America card because the ATMs only allow 4 digit pins, and mine is 6 digits.

So I thought to myself, totally not a problem! I'll just camp out at a PC Bang (Internet cafe)!!! And it's not bad at all. I have this sticky keyboard all to myself, and I managed to nap on my leather executive chair! I got a game of WarCraft 3 in as well. Lost. Oh, and the internet cafe is out of hot water therefore I can't buy any ramen!! I had to settle for this creepy hot dog bun and a banana milk (바나나맛우유)

Only fifteen more minutes left before the first train! I'm excited to go home.

under my window

Artsy Fartsy

Had some delicious Bulgogi rice today with a new friend.

Cool vending machines on campus.

i'm shakin'

Baskin Robbins in Korea. It's a sit down restaurant! And one of their flavors is (still) 'My Mom is An Alien,' as pictured here:

my room

OK I have no idea how blogger works. Anyways, from left to right: my desk and bookshelf, my Asian entrance, my bathroom and roommate's desk, my sink and shower (we don't use it because water goes everywhere and it's just easier to use the public showers down the hall), my glass elevator (super cool!), kitchenette and balcony, my keypad lock to my room, and finally my bed with Guido! There's also a balcony that I don't know how to access next to my bed. I'll figure it out one day.