That may be the most misleading blog title in the history of LTG.  So sue me.

The Good.

The Bad.

The Ugly.

I am pleased to  present to you this week’s Yoja, Ms. Chae Eun Jung:

Ms. Chae is a model, singer and actress.  She is the star of “Sexy Mong Returns” (promo here) a Korean “Charlie’s Angels” as I understand it. I discovered her over at Koreaninsider.com which has several additional videos and her bio if you are wanting to learn (and see) more about her.

Sexy Korean woman is the caption for this photo because that is the popular Google search term and I am a whore for traffic.  Sue me.

If you are health conscious (like me) and want to learn about good exercise technique, here’s a video of Ms. Chae showing how it’s done.

Bangapsuebneeda!

Ah, it’s a trifecta!  Lunar New Year, Valentines Day, and Presidents Day all in one jam packed weekend.  WooHoo!

So, Seolnal is a three day celebration for Koreans that began yesterday.  Many Koreans mark their birth from the Lunar calendar, so they all just got a year older.  It’s a funny phenomenon to ask a Korean’s age and hear “32, but 30 American”.  Hmm, that makes me 56 now, so can I go ahead and retire?

USFK grants two Korean holidays to its US employees–Chuesok and Seolnal.  So, this year the Seolnal holiday coincides with Presidents day.  Which means I’m getting screwed out of an extra day off.  Ah well.

Anyway, Happy New Year and for all you lovers Happy Valentines Day.  Especially for you sassy girls all over the world.

This week I’d like to introduce Korean singer/model/actress Yoon Eun-Hye.

Compare and contrast…

Ok, after careful consideration, I like them both…

I have to say though, there is just something about a gal in glasses…

out of glasses is nice too though…

I think she’s a real cutie, don’t you?  You can view a large photo gallery of her here.  And a website devoted to her with some pretty cool clips showing her in dramatic performances (co-starring with Cass beer).

But I especially enjoyed this video retrospective of her career.  It’s fun to watch her grow up. Nicely done…

After a long (too long!) hiatus, my pal Jenn from I Got 2 Shoes is back with the harrowing tale of her hospital stay.  While I am sure the medical treatment in Korea hospitals is first world, the experience itself is well outside the North American norm.  As Jenn’s story makes clear, you are basically on your own when it comes to creature comforts.  Anyway, it sounds like she is on the road to recovery and is at least free from the confines of the hospital.  Get well soon Jenn!

Here’s the link to my Korean hospital experience.  Similar, although Jenn’s was much worse.

Coincidentally, I’m going to the hospital tomorrow morning for a complete physical examination.  It is good to know I will also be leaving the hospital tomorrow!

It’s Friday which means it’s time to introduce the Yoja for this week.  And here she is–Ms. Moon Ji Eun:

She’s got that sweet girl next door look going on, but don’t let that fool you.  She’s got a naughty side too:

Anyway, she is a popular singer here in Korea (not that I would know).  And sorry Dave, I don’t think she does more than sing, dance, and look mighty fine.

You can watch her put the moves on here…

Well, the visit to the Soonchunhwang medical center today was a bit of a bust.  I did get reacquainted with my old pal Dr. Yu who said I looked much better than the last time we met.  Anyway, the whole medical well-being checkup was to be scheduled after my consultation with the good Dr. Yu.  And that will occur next Friday.  Endoscopy and everything.  HooRay!  Oh, I am wearing the blood pressure monitor which is recording my blood pressure every 30 minutes or so.  I was 140/90 this morning, but I always run a little borderline high.  So, we’ll see.

Anyway, since I had taken the whole day off work I decided to take a break from the treadmill and hike up Namsan (South Mountain) instead.  Let’s check the pictures…

Yobo Jee Yuen came along for the sunshine and fresh air…

And how could she resist an offer from a handsome guy like this?  Although she did laugh a little too long and a little too loud when she got a look at my hat and walking stick….what’s up with that?

Stuff like this in Korea never ceases to amaze me.  Not so much that it is assumed passerby’s will put out any brush fires they may encounter, but that no one would consider stealing the shovels and rakes.  Man, they wouldn’t last 24 hours left out like that in the USA.

This was either fresh spring water or the drain from the toilets…

Ah, the pause that refreshes…and yeah, it was clean water…

Ok, I’m not going to pretend that it is a difficult hike.  It’s not at all.  It’s like a stairway to heaven in fact…

Just call me the old stairmaster.  163 steps on this incline…

And at the top is this nice scenic overlook…

With views like this one…

So, our destination is Seoul Tower.  We’re about half way there at this point…

The wimp’s way to the top. (which is my normal method, well that was the old me).

Old fortifications…

And chimneys for the smoke signals to warn of invaders.  Which happened quite often in Korean history…

Objective achieved.  Now we’re hungry…

Hmm, last time I was up here this was a family style Korean restaurant.  Now it’s a hoity-toity Italian place.

But the view of Myeongdong is the same…

Quite a bit fancier on the inside than it used to be…

Jee Yuen’s hungry face…

We watched the cable cars while we waited (the restaurant is directly above the station).

Alas, this delicious seafood soup was just about gone before I remembered to use the camera (I told you Jee Yuen was hungry!)  But you can see the shells and stuff off to the side.  Mussels and prawns and other goodies.

This fried seafood dish was also quite tasty…

And the pizza was to die for…crust about as thick as a cracker…the way it should be!

So after gorging ourselves on that great food, we decided to ride the tram back down the mountain.  Jee Yuen has tickets in hand, but the tram that was supposed to depart at 10 minute intervals was somewhat delayed.  Suspiciously it seemed that the delay coincided with enough passengers showing up to fill the car….oh well, it was less than 30 minutes wait and that puts it within the range of “Korea time”.

Nice views on the ride down too…

And so ended my Namsan afternoon…

This week our yoja is both talented and beautiful.  May I present popular performing artist Younha:

And as a special treat you can see her perform (in English no less) here.

Ok, this is my favorite Korean commercial.  I can’t help it.  And that little ditty is stuck in my head even though I don’t understand a word of it.  Hey, it’s 15 seconds.  Click the link and see what I mean…

Typical Sunday for me.  A little internet, a little exercise, a nap, and a meal hot out of the slow cooker.  Wanna watch me cook?

The basics.  Regular readers here at LTG know that when it comes to the kitchen, I am firm believer in the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple system).

Now some folks like the onions raw as a topping but today I went with the saute method.

Then I browned 2 pounds of fresh ground beef with the onions.

Then put all the ingredients together in the slow cooker…

…and set it on low heat for 8 hours…longer than necessary but what the hell.

So as the urge to eat began to set in, it was time to mix up a batch of corn muffins…

…and pop them in the oven.

And while the muffins bake, I’ll grate a little cheddar cheese.

Muffins hot out of the oven…

…chili hot out of the pot.

Dinner is served!

Today marks the end of my fifth year in Korea.  Or the start of my sixth.  Or the beginning of the last.  Or all of those.

So while I have no great insights to offer up on this momentous occasion, how about a special tribute to a popular actress, Han Chae Young, as the Yoja of the Week.

Oddly enough, I understand she married some rich guy and now lives in America.  And I live in Korea.  What are the odds?

Oh, and if you missed the link above you can watch Lady Han in a cute little yogurt commercial.  Ain’t she sweet?

I’m quite the fan of Korean cinema these days.  On occasion some folks ask me for recommendations but I tend to not remember the titles as much as I do the stories.

So, here are a couple of lists of top ten movies from Korea made in the first decade of the 21st century.  I’ve seen about half of these myself and will be getting the rest into my Netflix queue today.  Enjoy–I think you’ll find most of these better than the crap Hollywood is putting out these days.

ROKDrop’s Top Ten

Korean Pop Wars Top Ten

A snowy Friday morning may make driving difficult but it doesn’t affect my ability to search the internet for this week’s yoja.

Say good morning to Ms. Song Hye Kyo.  More images of this Korean beauty can be found here.

Well this could actually be a good thing.  Presumably the NORKs think American tourism will create a more positive image for their beleaguered nation.  Although I think it more likely that exposure to Yanks in greater numbers might reveal to the populace the lie of propaganda regarding the American devils.

I’ve always (well since moving to the peninsula) had a perverse desire to see North Korea for myself.  It’s off limits for me of course, but after retirement, perhaps.  The problem I have is providing financial support to a corrupt, murderous and evil regime.  And that I might fail to refrain from calling it a corrupt, murderous and evil regime while visiting.

So maybe not.

I’m thinking Hwang Mi Hee could keep you warm on cold Korean night…

And I’ll be walking to work (left my car there Monday).

Hope there’s no wind.

12 degrees Fahrenheit this morning, which means all the slush on the roads is now ice.  No worries, my car remains buried in snow on base.  I won’t be walking to retrieve it today because USFK leadership granted an excused absence to non-mission essential personnel.

How bad was this storm?  According to AP, the worst to hit Seoul in 70 years.

I think we can all be thankful that global warming has prevented the ice age scientists were predicting in the 1970s…

Well what would a snowy day be without pictures?

The view this morning from my office…

We had our office picnic in that park just a few months ago, but my skeleton crew who made it in today stayed hunkered down inside.

The Korean War memorial is across the street from my building…

Easier walking down this hill that driving up it.  Later in the morning a tanker got stuck half way up.

With road condition RED in effect, my staff car remained safely sleeping under a blanket of white…

Namsan Tower is still visible in this distance.

The White House (USFK HQ) was looking particularly white today.

Looks quiet now, but us 8th Army folks had a busy morning dealing with the snow emergency…

Mother Nature’s artistry…

So, I walked home this afternoon to avoid driving on the treacherous streets of Seoul.  I was glad to see the highly trained and efficient snow removal team hard at work.  It is my understanding that by using this method all streets will be clear of snow and ice by mid-April.  At the latest.

Coming into Itaewon-dong as my trek home continues…

Ah, Pub Dolce Vita.  I’ll be heading out there soon for my first dart league meeting as President.

The Hamilton Shopping Center…

…at the crossroads of Itaewon…

Tough day to be a delivery driver I suppose…

Home at last!

Looking out my back door…

Ok, wasn’t that fun?  I’ll be reversing my journey tomorrow when I walk to work.  Don’t expect it will be nearly as pleasant, but that’s what January is all about, right?

Well, here’s a first after 5 years in Korea:

5W Report on Early Dismissal of Non-mission essential military and civilian personnel

 

WHO:  ALL non-mission essential military and civilian USFK personnel at Yongsan Garrison

 

WHAT:  Early dismissal

 

WHERE:  Yongsan Garrison

 

WHEN: 4 Jan 2010, 1200(I)

 

WHY:  Current snow emergency and associated safety concerns

 

NARRATIVE:  Per authority of the Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Forces Korea (USFK), due to the current snow emergency and associated safety concerns, all non-mission essential military and civilian USFK personnel located at the Yongsan garrison are authorized early dismissal at 1200 hours, Mon 4 Jan.  Authority for release of personnel at other locations resides at garrison commanders at each respective location. To avoid unnecessary congestion at gates, supervisors should establish a time-phased dismissal plan for individuals driving POVs.

 

Employees subject to early dismissal will not be charged personal leave for this absence.  Essential employees required to remain on duty are not entitled to additional compensation.

 

Employees who are on previously approved leave shall continue to be charged leave for the entire workday.

 

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to DHRM 724-3992.

 

Employees should be reminded to exercise extreme caution as they return to their homes.

 

All personnel are directed to monitor AFN radio and TV during 4 Jan and through the morning of 5 Jan for updated information on road conditions, closures, and any potential delays.

Ok, it is only half a snow day, but still.  We’ve got a good 10 inches or so on the ground and it is still falling.  I drove in this morning and barely made it up the hill to the main drag.  I’ll be walking home this afternoon.