Life in the ROK

West goes East: The lives and adventures of a Californian couple living in Seoul

Sunday, January 28, 2007

A view of our apartment from the street we shop on. Top left. The Paris Croissant bakery is just down the street. Tasty!


Here is a good example of an interesting observation about Korea. Look at the row of parked cars under the "No parking- Towing zone" sign. And it's not because the drivers are 5 year olds.
Koreans have only been driving en masse for about 15 years or so and still regard traffic laws as little more than traffic suggestions. It's a little hair-raising sometimes but I've heard it's better than China, where most people have been driving less than 5 years. Imagine a country where every driver has the experience of a teenager; that's what driving in China must be like.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Never had a warm fish shaped waffle filled with sweet red beans? Well it may be time that you took a trip to Korea. These thing are mashisoyo!!!! (that means delicious in Korean)

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Jay and I after a delicious Japanese b-day dinner......And when we got home......surprise!!!!

For my 30th B-day Jay threw me a surprise party!!! Yes, I was completely surprised. This is me opening some of my presents, with some of our friends in their devil and angel head gear that Jay handed out.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007


Colleen's favorite! A 30th birthday monkey card!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

This is an "Illegal" museum photo I took today before the guards rushed over and I quickly hid my camera. Unfortunately this shot does not really show how unbelievably crowded some Korean museums are, especially if the show is of popular western art. This exhibition is called Van Gogh to Picasso, so we should have known that on a Sunday it would be crazy. But it is hard to prepare oneself for all of the pushing that goes on in Korea. It is not malicious pushing, but there is not really a word for "excuse me" or for "sorry" unless you do something that is really rude. Don't get me wrong I like Koreans and in general all of the people that I know are very nice, but the pushing......well from what we have learned it is just part of the culture and how you deal with living in the most populous city in Asia.

Saturday, January 06, 2007



Presenting our new artpiece... Tom Turkey. Purchased in Itaewon, the international street of shopping at the bottom of Hooker Hill, for 25,000 won. Turns out I was ripped off as the same objet d'art is available on eBay for $5 but in my estimation it is priceless. See how the light flickers on Tom's wings, glimmers off his shoulders, and glistens on his tail. One can almost hear the caucophony of beating wings and angry clucks and gobbles as Tom attacks. His razor sharp talons tear into your skin as he rips flesh from bone, sinew from tendon, life from living!

Whew, that was a little scary, I'm back. Anyway, I just thought Tom was kind of cool and an interesting match to our Jasper Johns print.