Back to reality

Well I'm back to school. At least today there's no school - I won't bother asking why I'm in no mood to teach today! Still thinking of my vacation and Japan at the moment. So how were my two weeks off? Great! And I had company from back home so it was even better!

I walked so much in Japan and it was worth it. The weather was awesome (between 10-16 degrees during the day). Hakone was beautiful although Mount Fuji was very shy (main reason we went there was to see it). Kamakura was a crazy day of hiking and we saw Mount Fuji and weren't expecting it. And what to say about the different neighborhoods of Tokyo? All different! Yeah stuff is more expensive in Tokyo than in Canada and definitely Korea. But Japan is so rich compared to Korea (as a direct comparison). Japan is so clean it's unbelievable. And so organized also. All I know is that I love that country and I have to go back. Both countries are so close and yet so different. In terms of people though it's hard to say. Japanese and Koreans are very friendly. I wonder how Japanese are at work though. Can't be worse or weirder than Koreans (at least to my Western ways).

Feeling so weird to be back in Korea. If at least I was living in Seoul if would not be depressing. Now I'm back in this dump called Yongin and it's so dirty here compared to their evil neighbors (Japan). I feel like I just want to quit everything and just travel for a whole year! I'm crazy! Anyways for now I have a new semester starting March 2nd with a new co-teacher. I have 2 co-teachers; one is great and the other which I hated with a passion is leaving so I'll get a new co-teacher. I hope for the best! It can't be worse.

Shibuya - party animal heaven; and questionable men asking us questionable things!

Shinjuku - skyscrapers heaven - and fancy boutiques.Leather bracelets that go for 100,000 Yen - let's relax here! Also another questionable area with many men with long hair... for some odd reason!

Ikebukuro - mix of shopping malls on one side and university / Plateau Mont-Royal looking area on the other!

Asakusa - where the hostel was... not much to say because we did not really walk around. There's a famous temple but it's under  maintenance right now. There's also a porno cinema right next to the hostel which we saw everyday (!) Thing is nothing is covered and kids walk around there on weekends...

Central - Imperial Palace and government buildings - jogging seems to be the "in" thing to do around the Imperial Palace!

Ginza -  fancy fancy fancy - fashion brands and awesome restaurants!

Akihabara - geek heaven and maid cafes (we tried one! we even have our level 1 card !)

Ueno - Ueno park is pretty big and full of street artists, music and museums.

Harajuku - fancy area like Ginza but for a younger crowd. Freaks on a bridge posing and dressing up as anime characters and goths. Also in the park are the famous Rockabilly guys - as seen in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwcaQ3qJ88U

Ebisu - Yebisu beer museum and the best whiskey bar in the world (!)

Roppongi - bars, restaurants, clubs (Cavern club amongst them where you can only hear Beatles cover bands!). Roppongi Hills is also located there which is a huge building with appartment, offices, cinemas and restaurants. For some people that would mean never going out of this tower!

Ryogoku - Sumo arena and Edo Museum. Not unusual to see sumos walking here in their kimonos.

Hakone - outside of Tokyo (45 min. by bullet train, 2 hours by regular train). Mainly a hot spring resort and sightseeing of Mt-Fuji.

Kamakura - outside of Tokyo (50 min. by reg. train). Great hiking trail, near the ocean and features a big bronze buddha (the Daibutsu).


Takadanobaba station: you can hear Astroboys theme song in the station when it stops: awesome!

Pete, Bjorn and John

I've seen these guys in Yoyogi park!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwcaQ3qJ88U

Tokyo 2010

Photos of Tokyo 2010!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141055&id=736353328&l=8ae06f768e

Seoul - first days of my vacation

I'm on vacation since a week now and my friend Eric came down so I've decided to go to places I haven't been in Seoul and then we're going to Tokyo (well as I'm writing this I'm already in Tokyo!)
I'm also to lazy to post whole pictures so a couple of collages will do for now!


First day in Seoul
Gangwamun, Gyeongbukdong Palace, National Folk Museum, Seoul Tower


Seoul - Second day
Military history museum, Hwaseong fortress

Seoul - Third day
DMZ (foggiest day ever - what luck), Korean national museum, Sinsa station area, Gangnam (Rainbow bar)
Notice that there's a train station that was built to go the N. Korean capital! Reunification... an idea!

Facebook & New Camera

For those who don't care for Facebook - here's a lot of pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131267&id=736353328&l=566cca8e99

And some really absurd video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2FTiNUegKI


And I finally bought the new Canon Kiss X3 (Japanese version of the Rebel t1i or 500d).click here to see camera Lots of reading to do and tests. I'm on vacation for 2 weeks and my buddy Eric is coming down tomorrow so there's going tons of opportunities to take pictures especially in Tokyo later this week and next week!

Seoul Haircut - yeah really!

This might seem like the silliest thing to talk about, but it's not! Had a haircut in Seoul (Gangnam) yesterday and I can't believe the service! First of all, we're asked what we what, so cutting and shampoo. Then we are offered a menu for drinks (tea, coffee, fresh juice) then a locker to put our stuff in. Then I get a shampoo and scalp massage. Then a hand and forearm massage before the hairdresser come to see me. Even a paraffine wax hand treatment (!?) - remember I'm here to get my hair cut! Then the hairdresser come to see me - they are like the masters of the place (they are called teachers). There's ton of  employees also - all properly dressed and the salon looks so modern also. Then when she's done cutting I get another hair shampoo and massage. Then the hairdresser shows me my scalp on 200x zoom (?!) for some reasons she wanted to show me how my scalp was dry and my current shampoo was not good. Then she and the shampoo girl escorts us to the entrance of the salon and the shampoo girl even escorts to the exit of the building. How much did this cost? 16,500 won, something like 15$ CAD. Speechless.

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Hurt Locker, White Ribbon, Lost in La Mancha

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): What a great movie! Wes Anderson at his best (Royal Tennenbaums, Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Express). This movie is really for everybody. Kids will enjoy it and adults will enjoy it even more because of the dialogues and the soundtrack.

Hurt Locker, The (2009): Not quite your usual war movie. More character driven. Does not take sides either.

White Ribbon, The (2009): Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes for a good reason. It is definitely one of the best movies of 2009. Watch it and leave your comments!

Lost in La Mancha (2001): Finally saw this great documentary on how Terry Gilliam's Don Quichote was never finished. If interested in how a movie gets made, and especially, how a production can be cancelled because of total bad luck day after day, this is your movie.

Photo montage - Picasa rocks!

This was done in 10 clicks. Picasa rocks! and it's free!

Muse - Jan 7th 2010

The show was awesome! Sound was very good for an interior stadium, the band is tight as always and something new this time around: a great looking stage and visuals. What stroke me the most was that they played the Knights of Cydonia at the end which they introduced by playing a cover of the theme song from Once Upon a Time in the West - wow! I hope this won't be my first and last show for 2010 in Seoul!