Thursday, July 12, 2007

Korea is very different in terms of liquor laws. For example, the picture. In Canada, the police would pick these guiys up right away, fine them, and send them home to get their balls busted by their wives for something they were going to do (and continue doing) anyways. In Korea, the gentlemen provide excellent photo opportunities without getting introuble with the law or getting it from the missus.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

The Promised Land

All you can eat meat and seafood... all you can drink beer, soju, whiskey, and vodka. Welcome to Carne Station.
Notice all the different food in the back. Yum.


Adam cannot help but gorge himself

As well as Kyle

The BBQ pit after the food. I don't know what the red thing is.

New York Fries... from Canada.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Gyeongbokgung (경복궁)

The outside of the Castle. It was more like a compound than a castle, but this is a traditional Korean castle.

This place was like stepping back through time. This is the ground where soldiers would practice their martial arts in for generals just like in movies of the Forbidden City.

This type of chisel work was all over the place.







The rooves all over the country in the traditional style are pretty cool, but this was a cut above the rest.






Chimneys. I'm not sure as to their purpose, being outside buildings, or how they would be able to transfer heat inside, but they're cool looking. They line the compound.





It turns out what Ian MacIsaac has been saying all these years is correct. "Jonny, you're a rat." ... Zodiacally, of course.



This is the picture on the back of the 10 000 dollar bill in Korea. Its where the kings and queens used to sup with the special guests of the Joseon kingdom.





Tuesday, May 22, 2007

fishing trip

There are no pictures of any fish, because no one on the entire vessel caught anything. nyarr. not your regular fishing boat.
I have more pictures, but not on my camera. soontime.

I couldn't believe it either. Kyle was aboard a Tourst Cruse Ship. The Korean characters after the letters VIP make the sound "Ho."


there were advertisements for cell phones and other electronics on the unfinished bridge, of all places.





Noraebong on the boat.





here's a kid I was playing with. His parents were more scared than he was.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Korean War Museum

This year for Mother's Day, I went to the War Museum. Korea is currently in one of its longest stretches without war on its own soil in its history. There has been an incredible amount of war here in the past few thousand years, usually through invasions by stronger countries, militarily and economically. It's amazing that the two Koreas are not part of either China or Japan at this point.

They consider the Korean war of 1950-1953 to be the big one of their history, most likely because its the closest of the most devastating ones in their memory. And there have been quite a few devastating ones... as far as the museum demonstrates. I felt that many displays were a tad nationalistic and propagandistic though, so the stories might be a little skewed, but that's all I'll say about that.
The statue of the two brothers. The older, stronger, victorious brother is from the South. The weaker younger, loser brother is from the North. Reunited on the battle field.

Canada's contribution to 1950-1953.

a few kiddie-poos playing on the monument. Grief and despair in behind their innocent faces. It was cool.



The main part of the monument in front of the Museum is a traditional Korean sword cut in half surrounding the "Tree of Life." It's rather large.

The building itself is also nice and big and good.

Seoul Tower overlooks the Museum. That's Christina's head I'm cutting off. I was trying to cut her out completely.



The countries that participated in 1950-1953.

The Canadian exhibit

A miniature figure of the Canadian Memorial Monument in Incheon

These are the collected dog tags of those that died in battle during the Korean War, shaped into a tear drop with the UN logo above.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Pictures from School

I don't know how it worked out that these pictures are all jammed together like this. But we have various pictures of front desk staff and students. These are long overdue, but better late than never.