What I've been up to

SaRang Church

Studying

Understanding

I've found a good church that I enjoy going to, and also made a friend there that I meet every Sunday.  They have a Korean service that provides English translation in the main hall, and an English language service in a near by building.  I actually enjoy the Korean service more.  I've also been working a little harder at trying to learn the language so I can learn to say simple things when I'm out in public.  I let my students know I appreciate their dedication and ability even more after I've tried studying.  My head usually starts hurting after 10 minutes of studying.  The video (my apologies that it's sideways) is a World Fireworks Festival that Seoul hosts every year.  I went with a friend, and this year the participating countries were Korea, Japan, and Portugal.  It was a good show, and attracted a lot of spectators.

Some more food....

Jja-jang-myeon
or in English, black noodle

tang-su-yuk
some fried pork

L to R: odeng, tteok-pokki, fried foods

This post is mostly for mom to let her know I'm still eating....a lot.  I'm trying to gain weight back, but it's been tough.  That top picture, black noodle, is becoming one of my favorite dishes.  I've been told it's Chinese food, but there are others who will argue it's Korean.  I don't really care, I just know it tastes good.  The second picture is some fried pork coated in some sort of sweet sauce.  This is also debated to be Chinese or Korean.....tsk tsk, so petty, let's just all enjoy and get along.  The last picture is some odeng (fish cake, accepted as Japanese food), tteok-pokki (rice cake. Korean food), and some random fried foods that included squid, egg, pork, and other unknown things.

I'll add some more food pictures later I'm sure, but these are some of the things I've been enjoying lately.

Sam-gyeop-sal

Sam-gyeop-sal and side dishes

Wrap it in lettuce with rice and enjoy

Feeling pretty good after that delicious meal

5 minutes later...not felling as good

Sam-gyeop-sal is fried pork and we can cook it right at the table.  It's a popular food among Koreans and foreigners alike.  You get some spicy soup, kimchi, rice, and other side dishes to eat with the meat. This has become my favorite meal here in Korea.  Mom, and a few others, had mentioned I looked a little thin lately, so on this particular night (9/25) I decided to eat everything in front of me.

At one point I had reached my limit, but there was still some pork left so I forged ahead.  I regretted that decision soon after.  By the progression of the pictures you can see how I went from happy, to a state of food coma.  The feeling got worse before it got better.  Next time I'm stopping when I feel full (sorry mom, skinnier Gavin may be around for a bit).  I felt like John Candy in "The Great Outdoors" after that meal, I even ate the gristle (I didn't get a t-shirt though).  Next time I'm wearing sweat pants.

fu manwho?

Move over Uncle Ken, there's a new best mustache in the family!

:^{   (fu manchu face copyright and trademark of Jason Elzen)

This was the result from a combination of boredom and a desire to show my support for the Packers!  Inspired by Aaron Rodgers, I decided to give this a try on Saturday (9/24)!  I was a little nervous for the Bears game, so the fu manchu was my solution.  It worked, the Packers won...so I may have to bring it back every weekend!

I kept the look for about 12 hours, and got some mixed reviews.  It was my first mustache experience...baby steps.  Next time I'll shoot for a full 24 hours.

Not just America's pastime

Jamsil Stadium, home of the LG Twins and Doosan Bears

Sitting on the visitor side, with Lotte Giants fans!

I got my first experience with baseball in Korea on Sunday (9/18).  I'd say it's comparable to minor league talent in the US.  It's a very popular activity for couples to do, and it's easy to get distracted by the organized cheers.  Fans are separated by teams, home fans along 1st base, away fans along 3rd base.  I'd even venture a guess, and say the majority of the fans are more interested in the cheering than they are the actual game.

After seeing the 4 female cheerleaders, I can't really blame them.  The video is a shot of the lead male cheerleader, which each team has, and the females are on the ground in front of him.  The other big surprise was the fact that fans can carry in their own food and drink.  That wouldn't lead to any excessive behavior in America!

Cut it like Beckham

I got a haircut today; wanted to get it cut once more before it gets too cold.  I thought of the style I wanted, but knew I wouldn't be able to explain it to them.  So I searched the internet for a picture and found David Beckham with the style I wanted.  I am happy with the results...and personally think I look better than Beckham.

Ballin'

Here are a couple videos and pics of me playing some basketball with Korean friends.  We meet every Sunday and practice and play for 4 hours.  Don't play that soft D on me or I'll J in your face...guard me too tight and I take it to the hole.  Still got it!!

I found out quickly that Asians are not that short, I'm just average height out there.  The bottom pic is with Hyeon-du, the friend that invited me to play.  He's also the one who took the video and pics, so I had to give him a shout out on here.

Some Seoul Sights!

The 1st pic is at Cheong-gye-cheon Stream.  It's a popular tourist area in central Seoul.  It has a nice walking trail that goes on for miles.  The 2nd pic is at Gwang-hwa-mun Square with the statue of King Sejong in the background.  He created the Korean alphabet.  The 3rd and 4th pics are at Gyeong-bok-gung Palace, where history and modernity meet.  These sights are all in the same area and so I saw them all on the same day.

Here are a couple shots of my apartment, or officetel as they say in Korea.  Yeah it only takes 2 pics... unless you wanna see the bathroom

Blog creation

Wanted to think of a clever name incorporating Seoul...lostSeoul, Seouless, AmericanSeoul, and my favorite Seouljaboy all came to mind.  But I figured the Seoul puns have all been done, hence my blog name.

I figure this is the easiest way to keep in contact and share photos with family and friends.  This also means I will have to do a better job taking pictures and sharing stories.