Blogs

Koreabridge Blog Section

  • Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

    Submitted by on

    The festival will be held from March 31 (fireworks on the evening of the 30th) to April 9.  As I recall, from twelve years ago, the whole town is tinged pink by sunlight traveling through the leaves, and a veritable snow of blossom petals lines the roads.

    I seem to recall the Navy base being open during the festival and, in fact, it is also a celebration of Admiral Yi Soon-shin.

    Korean Tourism has some information and links to a report of the 2007 festival.

  • Ode to My Nephew

    Submitted by on

    I'm sure that by many cultural standards, my baby nephew is in fact, not the cutest baby in the whole world. In fact, I'm sure that every single other new parent in the world disagrees with me.

  • Costco in Korea!

    Submitted by on

    Picture Costco (or your favorite superstore) on a Sunday. Now add several hundred people throwing elbows and driving bumper carts. Voila! You have an idea of what Costco is like on a Sunday. I normally try to get any sort of grocery shopping done after work during the week but Costco is just too far away for me to want to deal with that on a weekday. I added myself to my Mom's account back in September but I hadn't taken advantage of that yet. My burning desire for Oreos** and Eggo waffles finally caved me.They didn't have Eggo waffles like the Costco in Seoul! It was tragic.

  • My Cultural Retardation

    Submitted by on

    My readjustment to Canadian culture is a work in progress. For the most part I'm doing okay:

    • I have not yet left a restaurant without tipping.
    • I haven't searched in vain for a garbage beside the toilet in which to dispose of my toilet paper.
    • I haven't elbowed any seniors in a fight to get on any form of public transit (this is probably in part due to the fact that Canadian seniors appear far more feeble than their Korean counterparts, but I'm still counting it as a success).

    That said, it hasn't been perfect. 

  • Taking the Slow Route

    Submitted by on

    Last Wednesday I woke to snow and wind.  Even in winter, Busan rarely sees the white stuff fall–in March it’s unheard of.  Morning  classes were cancelled, so I indulged in a long skype with Melissa and then a slow walk to school, pausing to capture the images I had been rushing past all the other mornings. The camera always makes me stop and see.  Hope you enjoy the visuals as much as I did!

  • Snow in March

    Submitted by on

    Everybody, raise your glasses to Korea's 'four distinct seasons' - Seoul got snow a few days ago, reminding us that it's not yet spring. A few pictures of the snow - enjoy:


  • victory over the devil!

    Submitted by on

    This one time, at this one place, I have been victorious!

    My son frequently asks me, while we are laying down and just before we sleep, if I have locked the door.

    Today, I called him over, turned on the light by the door, and locked the door and set the chain while he watched.  He asked me, “No bad guys can get in now?”

    …

    It wasn’t an easy battle, it wasn’t a predictable win.  This was a tough one. I wanted to mention the windows, the hinge-blots, the verandah.

    I said, “Right, no bad guys can get in.”

  • Winter's Child

    Submitted by on

    It snowed this week in our part of Busan. It was the first time snow had settled on the ground since I've lived here. South Korea hasn't had an easy winter, but this city's location and our location within it - in the south-west by the sea - mean that it usually rains, if anything. The snow still falls on top of the nearby mountains though, which I have an excellent view of from my office window. Annoyingly, it often doesn't stop it from being bitingly cold, but it's nothing compared to Seoul.

  • March Madness - Korean style

    Submitted by on

    While I don't usually plug my friends websites / blogs (except, of course, if I'm getting paid - HA HA HA), a project of Joe McPherson's from the venerable ZenKimchi will combine March Madness with Korean foods. From the introductory page:
    Korean foods from different regions compete for fame and glory on the international stage. Which cuisine will reign supreme?

    Here’s how it works.

Pages

Subscribe to Blog Posts