Long time no blog

Well, it's been a serious while since I updated the blog, but it's mostly because I haven't been up to anything particularly interesting. The usual activities of teaching, eating and wandering about Suji have filled up my time the way they usually do. Sadly, despite my long absence, I can't promise anything too exciting with this update but, since I feel like I should at least share something, I've compiled a little photo series of my usual food haunts, along with a few miscellaneous shots.

This is Mi-mandoo, my favorite place to score my favorite snack: Mandoo. It's sort of a steamed dumpling (also available at Chinese places, only fried) that is filled with either pork and vegetables or kimchi. Myself, I like to get the variety pak that comes with five of each for only about $2.50. It's a delicious, filling, inexpensive and even relatively healthy meal. I'd say I should write commercials for these things, but they could sell themselves to a fire hydrant. Love 'em. This is also where I like to get kimbap and chamchi kimbap, both delicious variations on the rice-rolled-in-seaweed theme.And this, of course, is Pizza school. Delicious medium-sized pizza (feeds one for about a day) for five bucks! Can't beat that, well, that and the fact that it's right on my route from work back home and a great place to read student's essays while I wait for the pizza.


This is the interior of Music Cafe, or as we call it, "Treehouse Bar." It's located in the area of Suji known as "Dirty Suji," where most of the restaurants and Karaoke rooms are located. This place is amazing. I don't think pictures convey how cool it is. The wall to the right of this shot is one giant chalkboard on which are scribbled words in many different languages (albeit mostly Korean, English and Japanese) and the wall is hung with classic albums. Like, really classic - Elvis and Willie Nelson classic. The table and chairs (and sometimes benches) are all mismatched and scattered hodgepodge about the place. Also, did I mention the giant friggin' fake tree that is the centerpiece? The traditional Korean drinks are served in intentionally dent-riddled brass pots, and the music is an eclectic mix of hits from five years ago interspersed with Hank Williams and The Four Tops. But the real charm of Music Cafe comes from its compartmental seating options:
Here you can more clearly see the chalkboard walls, and also the cool segmented, elevated dining options available for the valued customers of the Music Cafe of Suji! This is actually where we went for my birthday, and we sat up there on the platform on the left. Here's a detail of what I wrote on the wall:
There it is, right next to the vent fan. It says

"タイラーはたんじょうびにいました。"

Which is totally Japanese for "Tyler was here on his birthday."

Well, that's about it for the pictures. This week (yesterday, in fact) was Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving day. This means I haven't had to work all week! Unfortunately, it also means that everything is closed up and I'm really bored. I've been taking some of the time to start to learn how to read Korean and complete some other writing projects, but unfortunately that can't last me all day or I'll go crazy! Maybe I'm going crazy anyhow.

Or at least I would be going crazy if I hadn't been reading the sublimely insane Overcompensating.