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Every culture have its own type of habits and behaviors that may seem “funny” or “different” to foreigners. Although I may not be a foreigner, I have been living abroad long enough to recognize Korean habits and found interest in identify these habits and behaviors. For people who already have interacted with Koreans or watch a lot of Korean dramas, probably recognize some of them.

Koreans love to doodle. 
Many of you English teachers would have seen Korean students draw.  I’ll say almost all girls doodle during lectures and many guys too. I would say its a national habit in Korea. This probably contributes to the reason that Koreans are pretty good with drawing. A reason why a lot of animation companies use Korean studios for outsourcing.

Koreans crack eggs with their head. 
Koreans crack boiled eggs with their heads instead of using the table or a spoon. I’ve seen it in Korean dramas, Korean jim jil bang (찜질방), and I even grew up cracking eggs with my head. I still have trouble finding the source of this behavior and trust me I believe no other countries does this. Maybe it came from Humpty Dumpty, but I would hardly believe that Humpty Dumpty existed in Korea back in 1950s.

Koreans girls cover their mouth when they laugh
Don’t ask why. I already have trouble meeting Korean girls. The only assumption I have is that it is something similar to covering your hand when you yawn. You don’t want people to see your insides of your mouth.

Koreans love to do the V finger when they take photos
Its true. I do it all the time. It feels like ice cream cone without the ice cream if you don’t do the Vs when you take photos. Even my grandmother who is around 70 years old does the Vs. I guess it became part of being Korean. -.-V

Koreans like to walk at night
If you live in Korea, you’ll see a lot of Koreans walking in the parks near by. Its to relieve stress, digest your food and stay healthy. Its like going to the gym but Korean just go to the parks instead.

There probably are more Korean behaviors or habits, but I can’t find them all. As a Korean it will probably take me more time to identify them, than a foreigner. However, I do find it enjoyable finding these habits and pleasures.  I hope I am not the only one who find it interesting to recognize these habits!

About the author
WonTaek Chung is a college student from South Korea and he is currently studying in the US. He has created and regularly maintains the blog – My Seoul Stories – to help people learn more about the daily lives of Koreans. You can follow his blog to get a peak into the unusual aspects of the daily lives of Koreans.

Meru Networks develops and markets wireless LAN infrastructure solutions that use virtualization to deliver pervasive, high-fidelity wireless service for business-critical voice, video and data applications. The company first introduced its award-winning virtual cell wireless architecture in 2003, and Meru products embody a complete departure from typical hub-based WLAN approaches, offering a wireless solution with levels of performance, reliability, security and cost-effectiveness previously found only in wired networking environments.Meru’s solutions have been adopted in all major industry vertical markets, including Fortune 500 enterprises, health care, education, retail, manufacturing, hospitality and government. Meru is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Job Description

The Account Manager’s focus centers on Meru’s Wireless LAN solutions. This includes owning and coordinating all aspects of the sales cycle as well as maintaining and expanding the customer base within the assigned territory. In this key role, you will manage and drive direct sales into major enterprise accounts.

• Generate enterprise business opportunities and managing the sales process through to closure of the sale.
• Create and implement strategic account plans focused on attaining enterprise-wide deployments of Meru products and services.
• Develop executive relationships with key buyers and influencers and leverage these during the sales process.
• Coordinate with appropriate internal groups to generate and deliver winning Contract Bids, Proposals, RFI/RFP Responses, and Statements of Work. Negotiate terms of business with clients to achieve win/win results that provide the basis for strong ongoing relationships.
• Understand, develop and grow a Country/Region/Territory whereby monthly, quarterly and annual sales targets are achieved and exceeded.
• Understand and convey key Business issues facing Distributors, resellers and customers
• Develop sales plan to provide market overview and sales/marketing strategy for achieving sales target (Quota).
• Recruit and manage the channel partners including Distributors/Re-Sellers/Systems Integrators.
• Manage all aspects of the sales cycle to secure new customers
• o canvassing and cold calls
• o executive calls
• o line manager presentations
• o product demonstrations
• o discussion of papers and proposals
• o negotiation and close
• Develop and plan sales/marketing activities and campaigns within each Country/Region/Territory.
• Understand, where appropriate, opportunities for localization of our products and services.
• Maintain sufficient activity levels to achieve sales target (Quota) and build appropriate pipelines to achieve quarterly sales targets for the following two quarters.

Desired Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of solution and service based sales experience within a networking hardware and/or related high technology business environment with an emphasis on selling network solutions to the health care and/or education markets.
• Minimum 3 years selling enterprise network products and services, preferably with wireless experience.
• Candidates will be highly motivated and have extensive experience in successfully selling large ticket solutions in their region.
• Excellent knowledge of multiple platforms in correlation with wireless networking, competitors and market landscape is required.
• Candidates must have strong presentation, written and oral communication skills as well as the demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.
• Bachelor’s Degree in business, marketing or related discipline preferred.
• Significant travel required.

Serco Inc. is the Americas division of Serco Group, plc, one of the world’s leading and most admired service companies. We improve services by managing people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. Our broad array of real-time cost-effective service solutions ensure confidence and protection for our military, government and commercial customers. We work with our customers to understand exactly what they need and help to see their projects through the complete lifecycle. Whether the assignment is helping secure our borders, enhancing intelligence capabilities, helping federal agencies share critical data, or supporting personnel functions, Serco is there.

Job Description

This candidate will be responsible for supporting the PEO-EIS Korea Transformation efforts in development and upgrading the network infrastructure at locations in the Korean Theater of Operation to UC and supporting a Portfolio of C2 projects in Korea. They must understand both data and voice technologies and well as significant Army IT initiatives. This position will require some travel to complete the work. Must have a DOD secret level clearance.

Act as a Systems Engineer for I3MP Integrations East to complete the following duties:

• Validate all phases of the installation of network cable/equipment for all Theater wide projects including:
• Review Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE).
• Selection of the appropriate hardware/technology
• Proper installation of the hardware
• Evaluation of cost and performance of the equipment after installation.
• Recommend solutions to the KT/YRP/LPP Special Project Office when problems arise.
• Recommend system changes that improve infrastructure efficiencies. Develop deployment strategies, project plans and supplemental material to support decision making.
• Extensive experience in Layer 2 & Layer 3 technologies
• Experience in LAN, WAN, WLAN design, cost, testing, and implementation.
• Ability to deploy LANs, WANs, and wireless solutions.
• Help design, deploy, and/or evaluate network management solutions to manage either data (LAN, WAN, data centers) or voice (VoIP, unified communications).
• Understand and Create Network Management process flows.
• Work in conjunction with client to design high-level network and system management solution.
• Recommend equipment or processes to install and configure some of the leading Network Management solutions.
• Project management activities including work planning, status reporting, customer relationship management, and maintain a project schedule
• Participate in internal and external meetings, prepare reports and presentations
• Develop internal white papers, position documents and knowledge capital on different network technology topics and consider how they contribute to Army IT initiatives.
• Act as a Systems Engineer for I3MP Integrations East to complete the following duties:
• Validate all phases of the installation of network cable/equipment for all Theater wide projects including:
• Review Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE).
• Selection of the appropriate hardware/technology
• Proper installation of the hardware
• Evaluation of cost and performance of the equipment after installation.
• Recommend solutions to the KT/YRP/LPP Special Project Office when problems arise.
• Recommend system changes that improve infrastructure efficiencies. Develop deployment strategies, project plans and supplemental material to support decision making.
• Extensive experience in Layer 2 & Layer 3 technologies
• Experience in LAN, WAN, WLAN design, cost, testing, and implementation.
• Ability to deploy LANs, WANs, and wireless solutions.
• Help design, deploy, and/or evaluate network management solutions to manage either data (LAN, WAN, data centers) or voice (VoIP, unified communications).
• Understand and Create Network Management process flows.
• Work in conjunction with client to design high-level network and system management solution.
• Recommend equipment or processes to install and configure some of the leading Network Management solutions.
• Project management activities including work planning, status reporting, customer relationship management, and maintain a project schedule
• Participate in internal and external meetings, prepare reports and presentations
• Develop internal white papers, position documents and knowledge capital on different network technology topics and consider how they contribute to Army IT initiatives.

Desired Skills & Experience

• 15+ year experience in technical areas of IT projects and implementation of IT systems.
• Experience must be as a member of the technical team, not as project manager or PM staff.
• Projects must include both voice and data migration
• DoD and/or Federal project experience required, not for all 18 years but a significant portion.
• Experience in the following areas and technologies including routing protocols:
• LAN, WAN, TCP/IP, Domain Name Server (DNS), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Latency, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Quality of Service (QoS), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) from CISCO, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
• The position requires an in-depth working knowledge across multiple technical disciplines including Data/Voice communications, converging technologies (VOIP), IP strategies, Unified Capabilities, Outside Plant, security and IT solutions.
• Extensive knowledge of IP Telephony and experience with various solutions (CISCO, NORTEL, etc).
• Technical expertise with the design and operation of digital telecom network systems, to include fiber optic transmission, and interface devices.
• Active DOD secret clearance.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Experience working on Army installations and understanding of the Pacific Architecture
• Understanding of DoD IT requirements, including DITSCAP and IA requirements
• Familiar with JITC Testing

Medidata Solutions, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Medidata Solutions Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran. Medidata Solutions complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

Job Description

Medidata Solutions is a global technology company that provides Software-as-a-Service solutions for clinical trials.

This position is located in Korea.

A Medidata Implementation Manager (IM) will ensure that Medidata’s software applications are implemented and configured in accordance with standard business processes, meet client requirements and adhere to Good Clinical Data Management Practices. The IM will have leadership and mentorship responsibilities of a supporting staff. The IM will be responsible for delivering to clients all assigned projects and tasks. The IM will work with Engagement Directors, Project Directors, Project Managers, and other functional departments during the implementation and configuration of Medidata’s software applications for clinical studies, and will assist in the training, education, and mentoring of colleagues who are new to working with clinical trials.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure that supporting staff are aligned and meet Project Management timelines and deliverables
• Provide mentorship to staff: Associate Implementation Consultants, Implementation Consultants,Senior Implementation Consultants, Project Managers, and others within Medidata
• Provide estimates on level of effort for various projects based on scope of work
• Assist in resource management, including identifying back-ups for AICs, ICs and Sr.ICs when out of office, assigning tasks and activities to ICs and Sr. ICs.
• Regularly provide feedback to team management regarding skills and coaching opportunities for AICs, ICs and Sr. ICs.
• Facilitate regular team meetings to share information and discuss issues
• Advise and provide consultation to customers and internal Medidata staff on bestpractices for implementing Medidata’s software
• Create and maintain project plan with respect to timelines, key deliverables, andplanning resources
• Work directly with the client to prepare, adapt, or agree on all specifications provided by the client
• Assist in the scheduling of professional services resources and ensure timely completion of deliverables
• Define and enforce data collection and handling standards on all deliverables to ensure consistency and facilitate downstream processing (e.g., QC testing)
• Coordinate and support developers during study development
• Author specifications based upon client requirements, including functional test cases,for use in configuring and developing solutions in Medidata’s suite of productsas well as in custom integrations with other products
• Configure Medidata software products to meet customer requirements
• Support training group in preparation of course materials and delivery of courses both internally and externally (e.g., clinical sites and investigator meetings) asneeded
• Support custom integrations to ensure final product meets customer requirements
• Support customer during user acceptance testing cycle by resolving issues, answering questions, and guiding them through the process
• Work with third party vendors such as central labs to ensure that all back-end clinical data changes follow best clinical data management practices
• Work with Quality Control department when needed on clinical software projects
• Provide written and verbal status reports to management on client projects and internal projects
• Comply with and enforce Medidata SOPs, procedures, and policies
• Participate and drive internal initiatives such as process improvements, product improvements, and identifying best practices
• Make recommendations and suggestions for new internal initiatives such as process improvements, product improvements, and identifying best practices

Desired Skills & Experience - Qualifications:

• 4 year undergraduate degree and 3years of experience working with clinical trials in a data management-related role, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Knowledge of Clinical Trial processes,specifically as they relate to data collection, management, and preparation for statistical analysis
• Strong understanding data management plans/customer specifications for data entry screens, edit checks, custom reports and data integrations
• Ability to work with technical R&D staff and translate new software features into real world examples
• Ability to take responsibility for own actions as well as actions of staff
• Ability to lead and give direction based on department and company goals
• Ability to evaluate the skills of others and coach where gaps are identified
• Ability to perform effectively as part of a team and autonomously
• Knowledge of computer usage in a web-based environment
• Ability to think logically to solve complex problems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Solid analytical and technical skillswith regard to software applications
• Experience supporting project teams and meeting project timelines
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Strong collaboration and team-building skills

Please email resumes to Carolyn Dugan at cdugan@mdsol.com (reference: thekoreaguide.com)

Kingdom of Heaven—Visually a perfect piece of cinema, its impossible hero, played by Mr. Mediocrity Orlando Bloom, wounds the film very deeply, and acts like an extra who accidentally wandered into the movie’s exquisite costumes and sets, all while there are several other actors (Jeremy Irons, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton) who are crying out to be the center of what could have been a masterpiece. Also, pretending that violence is bad when you yourself are making an incredibly violent movie is stupid. But I love it anyway.

My Neighbor Totoro—Flawless magic. The best part is when Totoro notices the sound of raindrops striking his umbrella, and then jumps up and down to get more of them to fall from a nearby tree. The attention to detail in the film, such as the way an old oven door slumps on its hinges after it is closed, is remarkable, and the fact that this is a good story without conflict or bad guys or anything in the way of cliches makes the film even more remarkable.

Sayat Nova (The Color of Pomegranates)—Speaking of cliches, a movie that seeks to invent a new cinematic language, eschewing the camera’s movement, and even the third dimension, might have created a whole new set of cliches as well, if anyone had ever tried to make movies like Sergei Parajanov. The story is based on the life of a medieval Armenian poet, and draws its inspiration from medieval sculptures and illuminations, in addition to the metaphors from his poetry. The insane length of each shot, some of them continuing without interruption for several minutes, is almost too much to bear, since most of us have been raised on quick movements, quick cuts, and shots that never last more than three seconds at a time—but this great length is a gift, because it demands the viewer’s attention, forces him or her to examine everything in depth, while the onscreen metaphors likewise require viewers to examine them and wonder, at length, what the hell is going on. The film is challenging and very uncomfortable, but each shot is mesmerizing, beautiful, bizarre, and unlike anything you’ve seen before. If you have the time and the patience, you won’t regret watching it.

Slumdog Millionaire—Not as good on the second viewing, it left me feeling drained, and I was really disappointed by how the female lead is little better than a princess locked in a castle, waiting for her rescue by prince charming. She is not really a character so much as a pretty caricature, as is everyone else in this movie—we see lots of nice postcard shots, but nothing of the interior lives of the people wandering through them.

Next Saturday the Daegu Theatre Troupe will be performing for the first time in an actual theater! We will be wowing our audience with our celebration of the funny, the strange, the unusual, the inner turmoil, the outer actions – All Things Love .  I‘ve been super excited about the show because aside from being in it, I [...]

The classic award winning drama by Edward Albee. The harrowing and hilarious story of two couples, one young, one old, getting to know one another at the start of the new semester in a New England college. It’s a party that turns into a battle of wits as the old protagonists throw every verbal and mental attack they have at one another.

Shows Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 7 p.m. & Sunday 3 p.m.

Tickets 15,000won (Book them here)

See here for directions to the theatre.

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Juice Fast Day 5 – The Finale

I’d be lying if I said wasn’t looking forward to a hot curry or a lasagna. I’ve really enjoying this fast but I’ll be happy when it’s over.

The Purpose

I did this fast as an experiment. I’d watched and read a lot about the benefits of juicing but had never tried it myself. In fact I was completely new to using the machine or replacing meals. I wanted to decrease the salt in my diet, have more energy, and lose some water weight. I never set out to be ‘pure’ or to follow a diet. I think when trying new things you need to be reasonable and listen to your body.

I drank smoothies in the morning, with crushed walnuts or almonds and then juice during the day. Nuts because I felt that my body needed some fat and additional protein as I continued to exercise and run.

The Results:

I should point out that I’m not unhealthy. I was, but since 2008 I’ve been vegan and I eat a pretty good diet with exercise on the side. The movies Fat Sick & Nearly Dead and Foodmatters reported on people’s dramatic results after fasting. I didn’t experience anything so dramatic, probably because I wasn’t too bad to begin with.

~ My complexion is definitely better. The semi-dark circles under my eyes have improved and the whites of my eyes are much brighter. I look younger and healthy from that alone.

~I feel really energized. I was alert from the moment I woke until I hit the pillow for a 6-7 hours sleep – even though I work a 10 hour days and exercise for an hour most days. Normally I’m exhausted by 11pm and require a full 8 hours to recharge. The fast definitely increased my energy.

~My moods were level even though I had a few stressful incidents at work. I stayed cool where I could have gotten stressed. I felt very relaxed and at ease, except once when at the gym I discovered my earphones where at home – Bummer.

~I lost 1 1/2 Kilograms (3 pounds) in 5 days. I don’t know if that was water-weight, or because of my exercise routine, but it’s gone. One thing I regret was not keeping a track of my calories.  I was more concerned with not being hungry, so I drank whenever I felt empty or like I needed a boost. As far as I can tell (from research) you absorb most of the calories from the vegetables you juice. Based on that assumption I was consuming between 1500-1900 calories daily – less than my usual 1800-2100.

~No breakouts, rash or skin irritations. I didn’t get bad breath or sweat rainbows. I only felt dizzy and faint once (Day 3). I did however, feel that I wasn’t as sharp as I usually am. It would take me that micro-second longer to recall a name and multitasking appeared trickier.

What I learned

~ Froth is fun to drink and pretend you have a mustache.

~ Juicing is messy. Be prepared to get food on the walls.

~ Cats don’t like to drink juice.

~ Peeling lemons is surprisingly similar to peeling an orange. Who knew?

~Vegetables contain so much fibre / pulp. Be sure to compost it.

~ Not everyone will want to taste your juice.

My recommendations

- Ween yourself off food. I’ve since read that you ought to introduce juice to your diet whilst slowly removing food. I didn’t. My body was still operational but I think the adjustment would’ve been easier.

- Start by juicing the fruits and vegetables you like to eat whole. Slowly introduce foreign foods and unfamiliar tastes. By day three I was drinking beets and asparagus, but day five I was into ginger and whole lemons.

- Keep busy. Definitely do not look for food porn on the internet. And avoid dinner parties until you’re sure you can restrain yourself. Do not be around freshly baked bread. It’s torture.

Listen to your body. It supposed to be fun. Create your own juices and enjoy yourself.

Juice Recipe 15 – Green Zinger (not for the faint hearted)

2  Apples

2-3 stalks of celery

1  Cucumber

1 inch cubed fresh ginger

Squeeze lemon or lime

Juice Recipes 14 - Beet Beauty

2 beets (with or without the greens)

2 carrots

1 apple

1 inch cubed ginger

 

 

As part of my home vacation this month I am going to visit Washington, D.C. with my mother. I have never been here and am excited to see a slice of America I haven't been to. So far I am using Google Maps to pinpoint places of interest and also restaurants and general areas to find oneself at a nice cafe. Here is the map:

View DC trip in a larger map

The "volcano" is our hotel! haha I hope the weather will be favorable for viewing the monuments. I am especially looking forward to seeing the White House, as I think in person it will give you a really awesome feeling. It is going to be interesting figuring out the bus and metro system, but I think with all my experience here in Seoul, Japan, and San Francisco I can manage.

Have you ever been there? Or perhaps you are from there. Then give me some tips and hints for great places or restaurants to visit!

The happiest, the most content day of my life in something like sixteen, seventeen months. Not since before my then-girlfriend revealed to me that she was pregnant have I lived through such a day as this, one in which I dreaded nothing about the future, whether near or far. The baby went to sleep in five minutes.

It is so cold outside that I noticed little icicles on my eyelashes. The condensation from my breath seems to make moisture build up in beads and then the cold air crystalizes them. An interesting phenomenon indeed, however isn't doing much to make me like winter more.

Spring, come to the land of Korea!

1 year 6 months 25 days and 8 hours after I left Korea I returned to England for my winter vacation. Shrugging the trend set by most other teachers in Korea of heading to the sunny and warm climates of South-East Asia I decided it was high-time I returned home to visit family and friends and indulge in all the luxuries of England that I have recently and increasingly begun to miss.

I arrived in Manchester late on Saturday night after a hash of air travel complexities that involved delayed flights, reroutes and lost luggage. Shattered from failing to sleep on the long-haul flight from Korea to Finland as planned, and having stayed up the whole night virtually in Korea to try to fool the impending jet lag, I rocked up to Dan and Anna’s gaff and was welcomed with some English beer, decent red wine and a reunion with my other good friends Chris, Zoe and Nick.

The following day I contacted British Airways who informed me my bag was still lost. Thankfully, three hours later it arrived and I began my British public transport experience. Having driven in the UK for most of my twenties I had hoped to hire a car in the UK but was disappointed to find my driving licence photo card had expired. I was left at the mercy of taxis, buses and trains… After a cramped train journey to Devon (no leg room, reduced carriages annoying crying child) I met my dad at Exeter St David’s and headed home to the farm.

I spent four incredibly relaxing and wholesome days in Devon. Apart from the joy of seeing my Dad and the rest of my family members I enjoyed being overindulged in home cooked food, meals out, walks in the countryside, and trips to Burgh Island and Exeter. Everyone seems content with life at home which is reassuring and it eased my homesickness that had surprisingly built on me recently in Korea.

After my convalescence in Devon I headed back to Manchester for five days of alcoholic overindulgence and cath-up time with friends. Having being overfed in Devon, and undoubtedly overworking my stomach, it was now the turn of my liver to be tested.

On the Friday I hit up Didsbury and Withington with Dan, Anna, Nick and Sarah.

On Saturday I headed down to Hough End to see my old team mates at Manchester Rovers and watch them get beaten 3-1 in possibly the windiest conditions a game has ever been played in. In the evening I caught up with Kate and Kate in Didsbury for more drinking.

Sunday turned out to be an epic all day session. I headed to the Etihad stadium for a painful 90 minutes of football as Manchester City beat my beloved Tottenham 3-2. My torture was increased by sitting in the home fans section just yards from the away end where I belonged! The torture was increased by Simon, Dan’s friend who had got me a ticket, who forced me to join in the celebrations of every Manchester City goal, threatening to out me to the opposition fans surrounding me if I didn’t. I headed off sulking to the city centre to meet Rosey and watch Manchester United beat Arsenal and drink far too much! Dan caught up with me later and I hung out with his work colleagues in the Northern Quarter. The evening was rounded off with a dirty curry in Rusholme.

On Monday I woke with a hazy head, angry kidneys and a liver wondering why I was punishing it. Dan and I headed to Wilmslow. I didn’t really want to go, feeling how I did, but Dan was getting a tattoo and I was too excited at the prospect of tears and screams and being able to record them and then post it to the world! Disappointingly he handled it like the man I had doubted he was… In the evening I caught up with Tracy and had a civilised curry in the city at Akbar’s and drinks afterwards in Sam’s Chop House. I only relented to having one glass of red wine as well!

Tuesday was my only day of alcohol avoidance in England. I managed to do some shopping in the city centre. I almost couldn’t cope with the choice of clothes. In Korea I am pretty much limited to the few western brands that aren’t in the upper echelons of high-end retail which I can’t afford. I dropped in on Tracy to say goodbye before I headed back to West Didsbury to go for a guilt run around Hough End in the dark before cancelling it out with sausage chips and gravy!

Wednesday was my last day. Dan was off work and we headed out to watch a movie at the cinema only to discover it was cancelled due to the 3D projector being broken. Instead we went ten-pin bowling. I posted a lifetime best of 163, gained the title of the spare king and kicked Dan’s ass 5-0. We had a game of left-handed bowling which Dan regained some dignity by winning. But that doesn’t really count. Nando’s was ticked off the ‘too eat list’ and we headed out to The Red Lion in Withington in the evening. Big thanks to Dan, Anna, Nick, Andy, Sarah, Sara, Zoe, Chris and Joe for all coming to see me off!

I really enjoyed my time in England, bu not enough to justify returning yet (the economy is ruined still, jobs are non-existent and everything costs a small fortune). I hope I come back sometime and I am fortunate enough to have great family and friends that care about me there.

On Thursday I headed off to Manchester airport content, but tinged with a little sadness and disappointment that I didn’t get around the country to see other people who I had hoped to see. I boarded an on time plane (unbelievable) and headed for Finland…

Juice Fast Day 4 Kitchen machines are attractive. Their shiny exterior, compact nature and creative niches. By inserting a few ingredients and flicking a button, the machine comes to life with a whirl and gargle creating magic in moments. No wonder I became so excited by my new juicer. My juicer is a centrifugal juice extractor

The motor can run anywhere between 3000RPM to 7000RPM, making centrifugal juicers the fastest of all the juicers in juice kingdom. It’s like having a drill in the kitchen. I love mine because not a single part of the jug comes into contact with the engine, or is able to dribble into it. It’s a superb design. Even the little cleaning brush fits perfectly into the spout. Bonus: It’s also easy to clean.

If you have limited time to juice and want to make fresh juice as quick as possible then a centrifugal juice extractor is the best choice. Centrifugal juice extractors are generally the cheapest, I picked my TEFOL branded juicer for 79,000 won (~$79) at HomePlus. The only down side is that sometimes I can tell the pulp still has moisture in it, so it’s not fully utilizing the vegetables.

My results so far

This morning my skin was glowing. My skin tone is even and soft to touch, but today was the first day I noticed my eyes – White. I’ve never had ‘yellow’ eyes, but I didn’t realize they could get so much whiter. They are rather attractive. I look and feel more alert and young. Which is funny because I’ve never felt tired and old(er). I guess you never know the potential of your body until you achieve it.

More details tomorrow. Onto the recipes.

No longer in the shackles of a novice, I am capable of creating juices of all varieties. I’ve been mixing it up with new recipes and brand new ingredients. Who knew you could juice asparagus?

Juice Recipe 11 –  All Berry (Brunch)

2 Cups mixed black berries (frozen)

2 Cups blueberries (frozen)

2 Cups strawberries (fresh)

1/2 crushed walnuts

I used frozen berries to add texture to the smoothie. The walnuts are to increase the protein content and cease the morning tummy rumblings. The sprinkled nuts make it fun to eat with a spoon.

Juice Recipe 12 –  Asparagus

1- 2 Large carrots

3 Ripe tomatoes

8 Stalks of asparagus (cut off the tough stems)

Verdict: I was very surprised at the amount of juice in asparagus. The taste was similar to most green vegetables, so the carrots add a pleasant sweetness.

Juice Recipe 13 – Bloody Beets

3 large apples       +        1/2 beet (you can juice the leafs of the beet too, I didn’t)

Juice Recipe 14 – A Certain Shade of Green

1 Green Capsicum

2 Stalks of celery

3 Stalks of kale

4 Sinned cucumbers

Squirt of lime

I’ve been drinking so much juice, I ran out of glasses so I had to put this one in a container (muwhaha).

Ol’ 55 is a good place to catch some live music or just chill. Open mic nights on Wednesdays, shows on most weekends. Beer on tap for 3k.

  


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http://busanawesome.com

BY MELISSA TAIT

Do you like live music? I know I do. At the age of 19 I thought I would be the world’s next Lester Bangs and spread the word about the revolutionary music scene in Sydney. Well, there was pretty good music but calling it a scene was pretty laughable. There were just a bunch of guys and girls…in bands…who played at certain places more often than not. And then I kept on running into the same people and realised that was a ‘scene’. So, I guess a ‘music scene’ is just knowing where bands play more often than not and then just passing the word around. So, I was a little bummed about the ‘Busan Music scene’ when I got here because I just couldn’t figure out where to start. Local paper? Can’t read it. Internet? Doesn’t really seem to have what I need. So, here’s just a few notes about where bands play more than not, and you can check out some live music.

Generally, Busan isn’t a stop on a world tour. Seoul sometimes is, and gigs are listed on international English pages such as Last FM (select location as Korea, Republic of). I haven’t had much luck buying tickets on the Internet for gigs, but if you have a Korean friend translate for you, they can probably buy some tickets on their smartphone in three clicks.

But back to Busan. I like more indie music so I’ve really enjoyed being friends with DIY Busan Live on Facebook who tour mainly American acts around Korea. They’re the sort of bands playing festivals around the world so you get to see them at a more intimate venue, and some street cred from your hipster friends. (For example, ’oh yeah, I saw them in a really small venue in Busan’) The main ‘music scene’ in Busan is expats who just happen to like playing music and are motivated to form groups and perform for our amusement, centering on the nightlife districts of Kyungsung and PNU.

Kyungsung

Ol’55 in Kyungsung has a very popular open mike night on Wednesdays and the calibre of talent is pretty impressive. And of course there is Vinyl Underground, also in Kyungsung, which has live music several nights a week. I think Vinyl updates their events on Busan Haps more often than their Facebook page, so the best way keep in touch is to check out the Busan Haps event listings. (SCROLL DOWN FOR MAPS)

PNU

Crossroads hosts another open mike night every Thursday. Another venue which has both Korean and English-singing bands in the Basement in PNU. You can keep up to date with what’s coming up on their Facebook page. (SCROLL DOWN FOR MAPS)

Keeping in touch

Busan Haps has a very detailed Music Events page with all sorts of fancy links to keep you in the loop. I would start there for a search and then go to the individual bar Facebook pages or websites for more detailed information. But then, most shows I’ve found out just by keeping my eyes open and seeing a poster somewhere. Low fi, but it works!

As an aside I have to say that I caught Dan Deacon at Vinyl Underground recently. It was an amazingly small show with an enthusiastic crowd that Dan was able to work until we were all dancing our booties off. You’d think he was an English teacher or summer camp counsellor the way he was able to pull off some group games with just the right amount of enthusiasm. I managed to get a Busan! Awesome! exclusive when he told me that “the beach here seems really cool. I just got here from Tokyo and it seems a world away.” Aint that something!

Also, my music tastes tend to begin and end with guitars, so if you would like to write an article about a different music scene, we’d love to hear it!! Also, any tips and hints would be appreciated for this article.

 

Kyungsung

 

View Busan (Awesome) Music Scene in a larger map

PNU

 

View Busan (Awesome) Music Scene in a larger map