I Love this guy

http://rmi.org/

Radioactive Kimchi

Looks like they're going to do that comic about me after all. Damn, I'm smooth.

In other news, I ate some sort of sea snail for lunch today. I'm not sure what it was but it tasted alright.

Yongsan Riot

You may or may not be aware of the fact that there was a recent clash between police and protesters in Yongsan (News Story). Six people died including one policeman.

The protesters blame the police and the police blame the protesters for the loss of life. Footage I've seen show the police using fire hoses and the protesters using Molotov Cocktails, draw your own conclusions.

Here's a picture from the front steps

They taped off the steps and so everyone had to cram onto the escalator. Those white buses are police buses and they're blocking off two of the lanes. There were several more in the area. Every black figure in the picture is a policeman and there are large groups of them off to both sides.

The fire was about two blocks away from here.

Burned out Building

I'm fairly sure that this is the building that the police and the protesters were fighting over. Note the smashed windows and the fact that the roof collapsed on the right side.

Another view of the building

Here's the other side of the Building
Burned out Police Bus in the lower left hand corner

Here's a better view of the burned out bus

There were police all over this area, the vast majority of which are the conscript units that you see at every demonstration. I also saw a unit of older and tougher riot police and I suspect that this is the special unit that they break out to show that they're serious.

I'm constantly surprised by the number of demonstrations that I stumble upon in Korea and also by how violent some of them get. I haven't been near any that have gotten this bad, yet.

Kimchi Museum

Went to the Kimchi Museum today. Took about twenty minutes to get through the whole thing.

Bunch of Kimchi Pots at the entrance

Chest for storing rice

Possibly another, smaller rice chest.

Mortars and Pestles

Grindstones

And more Kimchi Pots
(Note the porcelain pot in the center of the picture)

All in all it was a fun little trip, not sure I'd recommend going out of your way to visit it but it might be worth checking out if you're in the area.

Kimchi museum is located in the COEX mall.

Admission is 3,000 Won

Girls Generation 'GEE'

This is the latest song that you hear twenty four seven. It's the sound of Korea.

Jja Jjang Myun

Jja Jjang Myun

I've finally managed to order something for delivery that isn't pizza and that something is Jja Jjang Myun. Before this week, the fact that it was a five minute walk to get something to eat prevented me from bothering but my innate laziness has triumphed.

On a more serious note, I've been eating this stuff since the third day I was in Korea and it's excellent. My Korean friends and coworkers were shocked the first time they saw me eat it because Americans are supposedly put off by the black sauce.

Guri

Apartment Art

I was trying to get somewhere last week and I ended up in the small town of Guri.



The mounted archer dude on this apartment was on all sorts of things leading me to believe that it's some sort of town symbol.

Apartment Block in Guri

Bridge over a highway in Guri

Wholesale food market in Guri

This was the main attraction in Guri (seriously), I also saw signs for 'Guri Tower' but I never made it to that fascinating location.

Burned out bus in Guri

This was the most exciting thing to be found in Guri.

I thought it was a good name
closed so I didn't have a chance to try it out
also in Guri

In conclusion, Guri looked like a good place to live but I wouldn't want to visit (again).

To get there, hop on the Jungang line and get off in Guri station. It's as simple as that.

Guy in a Costume

Ran into this guy in a subway station in Seoul, he was nice enough to let me take his picture. I've got no idea why he's dressed like that and my Korean is no where near good enough to ask.

Apartment Complex

A block of identical apartments in Incheon, there are about a hundred more apartment buildings in site that look exactly like these. I'm fairly glad I don't live in one of these complexes since I can see myself playing 'where do I live' late at night.