How do I know this?  Because I (now) have Dokdo is Ours in my sidebar.

UPDATE: I changed the title on this post.  First time I had done that, but my previous effort struck me as cliche and well, stupid.  I’ve never liked those corny sayings and have no idea why I actually used one as a blog post title. 

Had a little birthday celebration for Dave New tonight at Dolce Vita.  I had a telecon back to the USA tonight at 9, so my party was unfortunately rather limited.  Did manage to get in some darts, eat some food, and take some photos.  Oh yeah, I had a beer or two as well…

The scene of the crime, Dolce Vita Pub…

I was one of the first to arrive so I got to watch the preparations for the festivaties…

Just in case some interloper with the same birthdate appeared, this party was specifically designated for Dave…

Evidence of Dolce dominance in the dart league amongst the balloons, our Championship banners.  In the background, you might observe some of Dave’s outstanding camera work on display.  I’ve linked him before, but check out his Flickr site if you haven’t done so recently…

Tom and his lovely wife Youlee…

Margaret and her boyfriend…hey, wait a minute.  What the hell????

Ok, that’s more like it…Margaret and her main squeeze Matt

Me and the other John from the UK

Finally….a pic of the birthday boy with a lovely Korean lass…

Oh yeah, there was food too!

Our hostess for the evening, Dolce owner YJ

COL Dan: A fine darter, good guy, and a great American.  And I’m not just saying that because he’ll be my boss for the next couple of weeks.

Teammate Seung Youb made an appearance…

As did another teammate, Ali…

Amy was our waitress and did her usual fine job.  Haelee was tending bar, but she is camera shy…

Me

John challenged me to a friendly game of darts…

But he wasn’t too friendly, defeating me despite my near perfect form…

A final pose with the now near elderly Dave and I was off for home and my teleconference.  Damn, I hate it when work intrudes on a good time.  Luckily, that usually only happens Monday-Friday.  Er, well, I guess that’s not so lucky after all.  I’m not complaining, the afterhours stuff to accomodate the folks back in D.C. occurs rather infrequently.  And my Uncle Sam takes pretty good care of me.  I just wish he’d keep his hands out of my wallet!

Cheers!

It’s not news that I spend a fair amount of my time hanging around in Itaewon.  Although lately, it is just a couple of my bar hangouts and favorite restaurants.  Things are changing pretty fast, with upscale restuarants moving in and sleazy juicy bars shutting down.  That’s a change for the better in my opinion.

Anyway, I was cleaning up some of my photo files and found some pictures I took last year when I was out and about in daylight (which is unusual for me).  Quality is poor (I can tell a big difference with my new Samsung camera).  So far better or worse, here they are:

There are several dress store selling bizarre fashions like these.  Who the hell buys them?  I have never seen anyone actually wearing anything similiar.  One of those great unsolved mysteries I suppose.

Shoes galore.  I’ve actually never bought shoes on the economy as the PX has served my purposes just fine.  I’ve been considering getting a pair of custom shoes made however.  Next time I’m out in the daytime hours perhaps.

A particularly crappy photo, even by my low standards.  Manila Bar is a place I visit on a semi-regular basis.  As the name suggests, it is owned by a very nice Filipino couple, Teddy and Jovie.  Teddy plays guitar and piano and is a fine singer as well.  They also do Karaoke and it is in this bar that I became (in)famous for my rendition of the Marty Robbins classic “El Paso”.

A bag lady’s paradise for sure.

This is the alley that leads from Dolce Vita Pub/Bless U Pub to the aforementioned Manila Bar.  It’s more foreboding at night, but really there is no danger.  One of the most amazing things about Seoul is the low rate of crime and street violence. This is also one of the 3 alleys from which 3 Alley Pub draws its name.  I don’t get out to 3 Alley Pub that much, and when I do it is generally for the food.  Their German goulash is outstanding and they have about the best wings I’ve found in Korea.  Well, Western-style wings anyway.

Continental Custom Tailor is where I get my suits made.  Don’t pay the quoted price, you have to bargain with the guy.  He’ll usually come down W50,000 or so, but I imagine I’m still paying a waeguk premium.

They opened a Hard Rock Cafe a year or so ago.  I’ve never been in the restaurant though.  For the past few weeks its been closed due to “electrical problems”.  I suspect it is probably an economic problem though.  The gift shop is still open for those wishing to purchase overpriced souvieneers.

You can also find many shops selling tourist trinkets like these.

More funky dresses.  These stores are everywhere, so they must have a market.

One of the newer restuarants in town.  Nice to sit outside when the weather is nice and people gaze.  Foods not bad either.

What can I say?  One of the more interesting names for a woman’s fashion outlet I’ve seen.

Street scene taken in front of the Cheil Building.  This is right up the street from my house.  The Seoul Tower and Hyatt Hotel are nice landmarks to find your way back home.  When I drive in Seoul I try to stay within sight of the tower so I don’t get lost.

Korea is renowned for being “wired”.  Somehow I don’t think this is what they mean.  Taken in the alley behind my apartment.

Finally, this is the little store near my residence.  It’s where I buy my smokes and late night snacks.  The ajumma who runs the place is very kind and even helps me with my Korean.  Well, she taught me to say “dulgae Ultra chuseyo” anyway.  Beats holding up two fingers and pointing, right?

Ok, well I hoped you enjoyed this virtual tour of Itaewon.  I know, I know.  You wanted to see the famous prostitution bars, transgender clubs, and gay hill, right?  Hmmm, if I ever get the courage maybe I’ll take some for you.  Probably not though.  Maybe I’ll do the dart league venues instead.  Fair enough?

Ventured out to Insa-dong last night to visit a nice little restaurant I discovered last year.

The Youngbin Garden is tucked away down the first alley on the right as you enter Insa-dong from Jong-no.

Pretty much standard fare for a Korean restuarant.  I had the pork galbi.

What makes the place different is the set up.  They have a nice garden patio surrounded by private dining rooms.

But with the weather as nice as it is, it is much more pleasant to eat under the stars on the patio, like these waeguks at the next table.

Of course, dinner is served with all the traditional side dishes I have come to know and love.

And as a special treat, a nice big bowl of dongdongju (rice wine).

Ah, meat’s on the fire.  Can’t you almost taste how good it’s gonna be?

Just about ready for the shears, wrapping in lettuce leaves, and filling that empty place in the gut.

Alas, no more photos as I was too busy consuming that Korean goodness.

Next time you are in Insa-dong, give Youngbin Garden a try.  It has the LTG seal of approval.

If I’m not mistaken, that’s Jeun Jee Hyun in this commerical:

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Good to see you again cutie!

Hat Tip: Dokdo is Ours

I’m back from my short but sweet trip to the beautiful east coast of Korea! 

I don’t tend to drive much in Korea, because frankly you don’t need to.  Subways, cabs, and sometimes busses get you anywhere you need to go in the city.  And the KTX has taken me just about everywhere else I wanted to go.  Consequently, my last real road trip was when I went to the USA in 2007 and did a San Francisco-Las Vegas-San Francisco driving tour. 

I define “road trip” as having an ultimate destination, but the real joy is the journey in getting there.  This trip did not disappoint in that regard, as I saw some amazing countryside along the way.  There really are two Koreas (yeah, well I’m not talkin’ North and South here): the city and the rural.  Although I guess that sounds obvious, I’ve been so Seoul-centric that I had forgotten that a wild and wonderful world existed right outside the city limits.  And driving that two-lane blacktop is really the only way to really see it.  Let’s go!

This was the circuituous route I took, outbound through Yangpyeon-Hongcheon-Seoraksan-Naksan, returning through Sokcho-Chuncheon-Seoul.  If you like driving through mountains as much as I do (a lot!) you will love this trip.  It wasn’t quite the Rockies, but still quite nice and a helluva lot closer.  Lots of twists and turns, but my old right hand drive Nissan BlueBird handled the road quite well.  I’ll say this for Korean highway engineers–they are tunnel building fools.  I couldn’t help but think of Gimli the Dwarf from Lord of the Rings as I drove underneath the mountains.  Some of these were quite long, including the Misiryeong tunnel at over 3500 meters.

I took a hwajangsil (toilet) break just outside Yangpyeong.  No, I’m not going to get into that level of detail about what I did, so relax.  They don’t have traditional rest stops like you see along U.S. highways, but they have service areas (gas station, restuarant, bathrooms) at frequent intervals along the way.  Just look for the big yellow sign.  Anyway, this particular service area had a little domestic zoo like thing going around back.  Rabbits, chickens, dogs, etc.

The were very friendly and happy to be showed some attention.  I felt kinda sorry for them though.  Hope they weren’t slated to be on the menu.  I chose not to eat there just to be on the safe side.

Typical highway scene.  As you can tell, I’m not much of a photographer. 

Unfortunately, the skies were pretty hazy which is somewhat typical this time of year I suppose.  I’m sure with a blue sky for contrast it would have looked much nicer.  Plus, spring has not really sprung at elevation, but lower down the cherry blossoms added some nice color to things.

I’m not sure if we are having a drought or if this is typical for the season, but all the creeks were low to the point of being almost dry.  And the red fire hazard flags were also in abundance.

Smokey’s Korean cousin (if he has a name, I don’t know it) was spreading the word that only you can prevent forest fires!  Well, techincally, he is saying be careful, but I’m used to the message I grew up with.

From the summit on the Seoraksan highway.

Again, I wish it had been clearer.  But it was still quite beautiful.  My photography fails to capture how nice it was.

I don’t want to come off as some kind of geek, but I couldn’t help but be impressed at the time and effort the Koreans put into simple things like culverts.  This is pretty typical of the rock work seen along the country highways.

Did I mention the road was long and winding?  It was.  My Hangul reading ability is so slow as to be useless when driving.  But as anyone who has ridden with me through the mountains can attest, I do enjoy a challenge.  And the thrill of cheating death. 

Having arrived safely at Naksan Beach, I ventured out to Daepohang, the little fishing port nearby.

The traditional Korean dried fish (I think it is called bukho) was in abundance.

But of course, the fresh catch of the day is the biggest attraction.

My purchase, take 1.

My purchase, Take 2.

My purchase, Take 3.

My purchase, epilog.  The way it works next is you carry the freshly prepared fish across the alley where a restuarant will serve it up with the requisite side dishes.  My problem is I’m not real big on raw fish.

Fortunately, they also let you cook it up in this great soup concoction.  Call me culturally insensitve if you will, but that’s the way I like it!

Did a little walking around, and caught this tranquil scene at the end of a little jetty.

This was the off-off season in Naksan apparently.  Hucksters were practically begging me to check into their lodging and eat in the near empty restaurants.  I settled for this little condotel (a room with a kitchenette, not that I used it) right on the beach.  W40,000 per night (around $35)  I was on the top floor, far left.

The view from my room.  That night, there was a beautiful full moon reflecting off the water.  My attempt to photograph it resulted in total failure.  Things were so dead I felt like I was in a Ghost Town.  I ventured out to a local Hof for some chicken and beer, hit the PC bang to check my blog and email, and visited a dried fish store to get some gifts for the office folks and friends in Seoul.

Seaweed and squid make the perfect gift.  I hope.

The next moring I slept too late to see the famous east coast sunrise (very popular at Lunar New Year and I imagine Easter Sunday).  The fishing boats were out and about however.

Took a walk on the beach and got a better picture of a fishing boat plying its trade…

After checking out of the hotel and before beginning my journey home, I stopped at the nearby Naksan Buddhist Temple.  Spectacular grounds and buildings, all sharing a magnificent ocean view.

The detail work is quite impressive, don’t you think?

This statue (I’m no Buddhist, but I think its called Wuisangdae) is at the highest point of the temple grounds and really dominates the vista.

Places of worship always have the idol figure.  This one was unique because it had a window arranged so you could view the statue from inside the temple.  Again, my camera skills (or lack thereof) don’t quite capture how cool this really was.

Not sure what the symbolism of this represents, but I thought it was worthy of a photo.

Did I mention the views from the temple grounds were outstanding.  They were.

Another perspective of the main temple. 

I’m not sure this does so effectively, but I was trying capture the enormity and dominance of the Wuisangdae statue.

This is literally my parting shot–the last photo taken on this trip. 

So, the drive home was most uneventful.  I took a different route, and got a little lost when I first left.  I was compensated for the lost time by a backroad drive through tiny farming villages that were really quite charming and peaceful.  On the way back I stopped at one of the roadside service areas and had an W5000 all-you-can-eat Korean buffet.  Unfortunately, all I could manage was about W1000 worth.  Imagine a greasy spoon truck stop and you will have the USA equivalent.

Everything went well until I got about 30 kms from Seoul.  I had missed the expressway so I was on surface streets in Friday rush hour traffic.  Those last 30 clicks took me over 2 hours to complete.  I was a little stressed and exhausted when I finally made it home, but it was a great trip.  I am resolved to get my lazy ass out of town on a monthly basis.  Turns out there is life outside of Itaewon after all.

Go figure.

It is springtime in Korea.  The best time of the year (although autumn is a close second).  I admit to having a developed a rather strong case of Spring Fever.  And the best cure is to hit the road and see something new.

So this morning I’m off to the east coast.  Of Korea, that is.  From the photos I’ve seen it’s relatively rural, scenic, and most importantly for me, someplace I’ve never been.  New is good.  My specific destination is Gangwon-do, Yangyang-gun, Naksan Beach.  Here’s a link from the Tourism Office if you want to know exactly as much as I do at this point.

I’m driving.  Which is something I almost never do in Korea (except within my comfort zone–a 10km radius of Itaewon).  So, wish me luck with that.  If I’m not back in a couple of days, send out a posse!

Although I won’t be posting during my travels, I hope to have something blog-worthy to write about the trip upon my return.  Stay tuned!

The Marmot’s Hole links to this story in Time magazine about the top 10 things to do/see in Seoul.  In 4+ years I have managed to accomplish only 7 of them.  In my defense, I’ve spent some quality time doing an in-depth study of the nooks and crannies of #5 on Time’s list (Itaewon of course).

So sayeth Nicolas Cage.

Coincidentally, after darts Saturday I had my usual Korean dinner.  Given my state of inebriation (exacerbating my mediocre chopstick skills) I could honestly have said “kimchi is in my stomach and on my shirt”.

The movie trailer looks pretty cool though.

Hat Tip to Brian in Jeollanam-do

Last night I watched two more street DVDs.  And also enjoyed a nice American ribeye cooked just right on the grill.  And the weather is fine for grillin’ these days.  Let’s get on with the show….

Taking Chance.  Starring Kevin Bacon as LT COL Michael Strobl (hope I abbrievated the rank right.  Army uses LTC, Air Force does it Lt. Col., not sure what the Marines do).  This true story tells of Strobl escorting the body of a young Marine PFC, Chance Phelps, after his death in Iraq from the mortuary at Dover AFB to his home in Wyoming.  A heartfelt and moving story that makes you really feel the power and impact of the ultimate sacrafice these young men and women make in service to their country.  You can read what Wikipedia had to say here.  I’m not ashamed to admit it really choked me up.  And made me proud to be an American.  I give it a 4+.

The Accidental Husband. Starring Uma Thurmond, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.  Well, I like Uma Thurmond. A lot.  But even she couldn’t save this trite farce.  I don’t know, movies like this just don’t resonate with me.  Maybe it was a chick flick that I just didn’t get.  More likely, it was just typical Hollywood crap.  Watch it if you’ve got a couple hours of your life to waste.  A low 2, and I’m being generous.

On the horizon:  This week’s Netflix movies have arrived.  Three Korean films are on tap–Please Teach Me English, Ditto, and Attack the Gas Station!.  Check back later in the week for the lowdown.

Cheers!

Ok, I confess to really liking most Korean movies.  Yes, they tend to be very melodramatic, sacharine sweet, corny, and predictable.  What’s not to like?

My Sassy Girl is an older film that I discovered through a clip posted on the blog On My Way to Korea.  I liked that clip so much I stole it and posted it here.  Commenter Jason saw the clip I posted, liked it as well, and now threatens to post it on his blog.  Ain’t the internet great?

Anyway, that clip whetted my appetite for more and I was pleased to discover the entire movie can be viewed on YouTube in ten minute chunks.  I have now viewed the entire movie and declare it hilarious.  Yeah, it gets a bit sappy in places, but some of the scenes had me laughing out loud.  I don’t think you can understand a culture through movies (I shudder to imagine how people would judge America based on the Hollywood view of things), but at least through film I feel a gain a greater appreciation for this country I call home.

So, I invite and recommend you to enjoy this sweet movie.  I’m even going to make it easy for you by posting links to each clip.  So, pop some corn, relax, take your shoes off, sit a spell, and indulge yourself in the pleasure of watching this fine film.  You’ll be glad you did.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

The final scene

Now, wasn’t that fun?

This is my weekly routine:

I work 8-5 M-F each week, but this is Saturday and I am not inclined to talk about work.  Ok?

Monday night is dart league.

Tuesday I recover from dart league beer drinking.

Wednesday I practice darts for a couple of hours, then head over to Don Valley, my favorite Korean restuarant in Itaewon, for samgyapsal.  Yum!

Thursday I stay home and will usually cook.  This week it was galbi, American style.  That would be Memphis (Corky’s) bar-b-que pork ribs.  Cooked on the grill the way God intended.

Friday is the Dolce Vita Dart tournament.  Always fun.  Last night I managed a second place with my partner COL Dan and had the high out as well.  That was good for W16,000.

Saturday is a wild card.  I do my grocery shopping for the week, surf the net, blog, and play CIV IV.  Saturday night?  Depends on the mood.  I’ll usually take a break from Dolce, and change the pace by visiting Manila bar for some San Miguel on tap.  When I’m feeling bago payo, I’ll hit Don Valley for some bulgogi.  Then depending on my mood level of intoxication and who I’ve encountered out and about, I like to do the norebang thing.  I can’t sing a lick, but that never stops me.  Tonight I will be playing in the Seoul International Dart League mid-season doubles tourney at Bless U Pub.  It starts at 4, so that foretells an early evening.  My capacity for beer drinking generally maxes out at 4 hours or so.  And as everyone knows, darts is just a socially acceptable excuse to drink beer, right? 

Sunday I do whatever I feel like, and don’t do whatever I don’t want to do.  It’s my lazy day (heh, more lazy than normal).  I don’t shave, sometimes cook, usually spend hours on the internet or playing CIV IV (I am bit obsessed with the game).  If I get too bored I’ll venture out to Dolce Vita and chuck some darts.

So, as you can see I like living life on the edge.  It’s a thrill a minute, let me tell you.

I say all of the above as a long winded prelude to my sharing this week’s movies.  As my regular reader(s) know, I recently purchased a giant flat screen TV and blu-ray DVD player.  And signed up for a subscription to Netflix. 

The way Netflix works for those that don’t know is you pay a monthly fee and have movies mailed to your home address.  This works for me because I have an APO (Army post office) address, which is serviced by the good ol’ U.S. Mail.  Given the turnaround time, I can usually watch 3 movies a week through Netflix.  I tend to watch movies on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights.  I supplement Netflix by buying movies on the street in Itaewon.  And yes, I am sure these are legitmate because they have the F.B.I. warning on them, and I know Korea would not tolerate anything as illicit as bootlegging DVDs.  That is wrong and tantamount to stealing afterall.  Just say NO!  Alright then, now that we are clear on that, here’s what I watched this week (no spoilers):

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  A very interesting film starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.  Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Which I haven’t read.  The film was technically well made, and the special effects were impressive.  I enjoyed the story because it was different and thought provoking.  The whole concept of living your life is reverse chronology is quite mind bending.  Pitt turned in a fine performance as Mr. Button.  My only real complaint is the movie is a tad long at 3 hours, but for the most part I was sufficiently entertained to make the time investment worthwhile.  Using the LTG unpatented rating scale (1=sucks, 5=excellent) I give this flick a solid 4.

Valkyrie.  This film tells the true story (Wikipedia says it was for the most part historically accurate) of German Col Von Stauffenberg’s failed attempt to assianate Hitler in 1944.  Tom Cruise plays Stauffenberg, and although I’m no fan of Cruise, he did a nice job in this movie.  I’m a bit of a history buff (which is to say I have an interest in history, but I don’t really know sh*t about it), and the WWII genre is something that always catches my interest.  I didn’t have great expectations, but I enjoyed the Dickens out of this movie (sorry, I’m a slave to puns).  The what ifs of history are always intriguing, and the Valkyrie plotters came surprising close to pulling this coup off.  Of course, Hitler was dead in 9 months anyway, but perhaps an early end to the war would have changed the world as we know it today.  Or maybe not.  Anyway, if you have any interest in one of the lesser known events of WWII, I think you will find this movie satisfying.  I give it a hearty 3.

Yes Man.  Typical Jim Carrey fare.  A bit of a farce, but still mildly entertaining.  I like Jim Carrey in his more serious dramatic performances (i.e. e.g. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and this movie was full of the face gags and physical comedy for which Carrey is more well-known.  There were a few laughs along the way, but in the end I guess I was feeling like I could have better spent those 2 hours (like playing CIV IV).  I’ll be charitable and give it a rating of 2.

Ok friends, that’s this weeks view from the couch.  Keep on Truckin’!

UPDATE:  Corrected the i.e. to the proper e.g. as pointed out by a commenter.  I think I use to know the difference in some forgotten past, and I appreciate the reminder.   I also know my spelling is atrocious.  I have been ruined by a combination of Bill Gates’ squiggly underlines (unavailable here) and my utter laziness when it comes to actually looking a word up…

Never one to avoid a thrown gauntlet, even if I haven’t really thought much about it.  So here goes (in no particular order):

1. My Korean employees.  Hard workers, rarely complain, and no back talk or passive-aggressive shenanigans you’d come to expect from disgruntled Americans.  Bear in mind I work for Uncle Sam…

2. My ten minute commute to work.  As opposed to the 1.5 hour nightmare I had in DC.

3.  I can smoke pretty much wherever I want (except on base, but that’s Little America).

4.  The Seoul International Dart League.  If you are a regular at LTG you KNEW that would be on the list!

5.  The expat community.  Soldiers, English teachers, Brits, Scots, Canadians, Pinoys, Japanese…the whole eccletic crowd its been my pleasure to meet and interact with on a regular basis.

6.  The food.  Just about anytime, but especially after a hard night at darts (and beer).  Grilled meat in lettuce leaves with kimchi and sauce.  Can’t beat it in my book.

7.  Beautiful women.

8.  Korean culture and history.  I don’t know the half of it (literally), but it is all fascinating as hell.

9.  Seoul subway system and the KTX to Busan.  Nothing in America compares.

10.  Ondol heating.  Nothing like a warm floor on a cold winters day.  Beats a heat pump any day of the year.  Er, well, not in July.  But you get my meaning.

Hell, that was pretty easy after all.  I could come up with more (like the ROK soldiers in their taekwondo stance at the DMZ), but the challenge was ten and I’ve run the gauntlet.

Well, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve wieghed in on the subject of Korean women.  I’m prompted to do so today after reading what I presume is a tongue-in-cheek article in the Korea Times by Michael Breen.

This part especially cracked me up:

Now, if all western men in Korea were from Scotland, the answer to our question would be simple. Research shows that the Scots speak the clearest English. We look like Sean Connery, our lifestyle of running after sheep and tossing cabers gives us chiseled shoulders and muscular thighs. We can play the bagpipes and do the sword dance. We have deep hearts because our country is mountainous and we have four seasons and we have been oppressed by foreigners.

But not all aliens are Scots. There are men here from America, India, New Zealand, Belgium, Wales, Pakistan, Egypt ― the whole world in fact. Korean women even go out with men from Canada, a country that is covered in snow and has three time zones.

Heh.  My pal Alasteir is from Scotland and even after knowing him 2 years I still understand only about 50% of what he says.  He does have a cute girlfriend though.  In fact, most of my friends here have lovely Korean wives, even the Canadians!

It wasn’t so long ago that interracial relationships in Korea were frowned upon (to put it lightly) by polite Korean society.  Not unlike the USA in the 1950s.  In the social heirarchy here, foriegners are for the most part considered the bottom rung of the ladder.  A woman who would “lower” herself to date a waeguk was considered little better than a whore.  I still occasionally hear stories of ajosshis (older Korean men)berating women when they have the audacity to been seen in public with their roundeye boyfriends.  And I know a guy who dated a Korean woman for over a year, but was kept a secret from her family because they were “conservative” and wouldn’t accept the relationship.  This was a woman in her 30s but she was in constant fear because if her father knew he would force her to move back home.

But things are changing, and the young people seem to be much more open to dating outside their race and the social stigma of doing so is diminishing.  Then again, I’m a denizen of Itaewon.  And as anyone will be quick to tell you, Itaewon is not the “real” Korea.  Whatever. 

In my considered opinion, Korean women are by far the most beautiful in Asia.  At least on the outside.  They just have a “look” about them somehow.  Sexy and stylish, feminine to the extreme.  I like the way they talk, I like the way they walk.  Makes me wish I was 30 again.  Alas, I’m surrounded by eye candy, but I’m on a sugar-free diet.  Actually, that’s not true.  It’s just that like anywhere else in the world, an attractive young woman is attracted to attractive young men.  It is a blunt reminder that I no longer reside in the latter category when I am addressed as “ajosshi”.  Which is the respectful way to address an older man, but in my head I hear “grandfather”.  Which of course is what I am.  And proud of it!  Most of the time…

But I digress.  We were talking about Korean women, not me.  One of the sweetest gals I’ve met here is Min Young.  She’s the girlfriend of a friend from Dolce, Jeff.  She worked in the bar briefly and was always a lot of fun to tease.  She still comes in with Jeff occasionally and always generates the same two responses in my head: Damn, she’s gorgeous and Damn, Jeff is the luckiest SOB I know.  Don’t take my word for it, see for yourself: 

Actually, that is probably too small to see and appreciate.  Min Young did a photo shoot with a fantastic photographer I know from dart league, Dave New.  I lifted this example from his Flickr website.  To truly appreciate his skill and Min Young’s beauty, go here.  You’ve got to check out the one of her in the school uniform which is my favorite.  But they are all good!

Final question:  How old do you suppose Min Young might be?  I had the pleasure of attending her most recent birthday party (at Dolce Vita of course) so I know the answer.  My rule of thumb in guessing a Korean woman’s age is to add 5 years or so to what you think is the correct answer. 

Min Young is now 30 years old.  I teased her brutally about soon turning into an ajumma (older woman).  It is another unique aspect of Korean womanhood, this whole transformation that occurs in the late 30s, early 40s.  They cut off that beautiful long hair, stop dressing sexy, and start fleshing out into frumpiness.  Now, that is not universally true, but as a general rule it seems to occur with distressing frequency.  It is a fascinating phenomanon regardless.

So, there you have my perhaps ill-considered insights on Korean women.  Of course, it is just one man’s opinion and I am far from having any real expertise in this area.  I mean, what can the kid without a nickel really tell you about that taste of the chocolate bar in the candy store?

One more thing before I go, somewhat off topic.  I was sitting in a bar in the Philippines.  The place was full of Korean men.  I asked the bar girl why Filipinas seemed to like Korean men so much.  She laughed and said we call them triple 3s.  I asked what does that mean?  She said, “you know, 3 minutes, 3 inches, 3 thousand pesos”.  I think that’s pretty damn funny.

 Hat tip to the Marmot’s Hole for the link to the Korea Times story.

I mentioned that I’ve been spending less time out and about and more time at home watching movies in my home theatre, such as it is.  With my Netflix subscription I’ve been taking the opportunity to watch some Korean films I’ve heard tell about.  Here’s three I recently viewed and recommend:

Shiri–a story about a female North Korean assasin living undercover in Seoul and wreaking a good deal of havoc.  A tad melodramatic, but then, that’s what makes a Korean movie Korean.  I also found it a tad sympathetic to the North Koreans.  I mean, you can’t blame the ROK for the f’d up situation in the North.  Still, quite entertaining although it wasn’t hard to guess the plot twist at the end.

Joint Security Area–A very interesting film.  I particularly enjoyed that it took place almost entirely at Panmunjon and brought back nice memories of my several visits to the DMZ.  It certainly appeared that it was filmed on location, but how they got permission to do so is something I’m quite curious about.  I think as an American I don’t fully appreciate the “deep national and cultural shame” Koreans feel about their divided country.  In fact, “Shiri” had almost the same exact quote regarding the shame and hurt that only reunification will heal.  Again, I thought the film was just a bit too easy on the NORKs, but here it was on a soldier to soldier basis and the point was well taken that Koreans are brothers divided only by politics.  Actually it was a pretty depressing movie in many ways, but still worth the view.  I actually dreamed about the DMZ last night after watching this.

Lady Vengence–This is sort of a “Kill Bill” lite type movie.  Apparently the third part of a trilogy, but even having not seen the first two it was still very watchable.  Not much more I can say about it without spoilers.  Again nothing great or inspirational here, but good entertainment.

As I have just proven, I’m not much of a movie reviewer.  But I need to post on subject other than darts occasionally, right?  Besides, I am fantasizing that the post title will generate lots of hits on Google from film gurus who will be so taken with my humble little blog that they become regular readers.

Speaking of which, I’m back up to almost 25 hits a day here.  Kamsamnida!

My Canadian dart league teammates and blog buddy Jen are not at all like this.  Truly.

Still, you gotta laugh.

It was nice to be the headline feature over at Jenn’s “I Got 2 Shoes”. Thanks for that sweetie. Although maybe I was just filling a void as she works through her dreams and says what’s on her mind.

I have the opposite problem, I desperately want to dazzle y’all with my rapier-like wit, but I am currently witless.

Good to see some old friends in the comments as well. Frank wants to laugh (sounds like he’s got the Obama-blues watching The One systematically destroy what’s left of the economy). I can’t think of anything humorous at the moment Frank, but I am still investing 10% of my salary in the stock market every payday. That’s pretty funny when you think about it.

But not much else to say about anything really. Been doing the lazy thing on weekends (my big adventure was cooking a pot roast in my new crock pot). I’m still playing darts, in fact we have a big match tonight against Eberhardt from Scooge Pub. I’m with my new team the Bless U Pub Blue Bulls. Doing alright overall and The Goat always manages to keep it intersting. But it’s all good.

Work is quiet with the military exercise in full swing. I’m working hard to fill some staff vacancies and things are starting to shape up around the office. I don’t dislike being the boss man, provided I have good people in whom to delegate (Kevin Kim, is that proper usage?). I do like to keep things around 50-50 (i.e. You do the work and I’ll take the credit). Which of course I don’t really do (much). 21 months out from retirement and I don’t have to play that game. Still, you can’t escape gravity, and things do flow downhill. If you get my meaning.

Watching lots of movies (I signed up for Netflix) on my new 52″ HDTV and Blu Ray DVD player. Perhaps I’ll post a brief review of some of the ones I particularly liked.

But not today!

Again, it’s good to be back with y’all. I’ll try to make it worth your while. And likely disappoint. In other words, look forward to more of the same here at LTG!

A little sabre rattling from North of the Border.

On Saturday, a dour man in military uniform appeared on North Korean television, flanked by army flags, and read a statement saying the country was now on a war-footing. He said the North would take an “all-out confrontational posture” against its neighbour.

Although North Korea regularly issues threats against the South, a spokesman for the South Korea Unification ministry said it was the most serious threat since 1998.

The television broadcast accused the South of “opting for the road to confrontation with the help of outside powers, ignoring the call for conciliation and cooperation”.

Commentators noted that the broadcast was transmitted just a few days before the inauguration of Barack Obama as US president. “North Korea wants to draw Obama’s attention,” said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University.

North Korea has repeatedly accused Lee Myung-Bak, the South Korean president, of being a “sycophant” to the United States.

In response to the threat, the South Korean armed forces have been told to “strengthen their alert status”. However, the South Koreans said “no particular movements by the North Korean military have been detected.”

A spokesman for the South Korean military said: “Much of the comments are the usual rhetoric and arguments that have been issued previously. North Korea talks a lot but we will have few words and instead respond with action.”

North Korea imposed border restrictions with South Korea at the start of last month, accusing the government in Seoul of taking confrontation “beyond the danger level”.

Selig Harrison, a US weapons expert returning from talks in Pyongyang, said senior North Korean officials had told him that they have “weaponised” enough plutonium for four to five nuclear weapons. He said 30.8kg of plutonium listed as part of the preliminary disarmament deal had been incorporated into warheads, according to North Korea.

Idle threats from a bankrupt regime. Unless they’re not. But this is the reason we are here, to deter the Norks from engaging in more than banter and bluster.

Looking at the calendar just now I see it is my anniversary. Four years in Korea!

No big insights. Plodding along and the time just keeps passing me by. The fact that I’m still here says something I suppose. Yeah, I guess I’ve pretty much found my comfort zone. Now, I recognize that I’m kinda living in between two worlds here, not really part of Korea and not really in tune with my U.S. roots either. But it seems to be working and I frankly spend zero energy worrying about it. Yeah, I should be speaking the local language by now. Sue me. I’m learning new words here and there and understanding a little more than I let on, but obviously I don’t care enough to work harder at it, likely because I don’t need to.

I have friends and people I care about it here. I have my darts. I have my time alone. And yes, I do miss my family and know that with each passing day I am drifting further away from being a meaningful part of anyone’s life there.

For better or worse you only get to live one life at a time. For now, this is the one I’ve chosen and I’m going to ride it out for the next two years. Or until I die. Whichever comes first.