Yongsan

If you can plug it in, you can find it at Yongsan!

Here's some pics.

The subway

Is this Batman's cave or the subway escalator?

Street stalls selling food

The red light district we suddenly stumbles upon!

It's a big hula hoop!

Outside the electronics market

Inside the market

Open Class

Yesterday we had open classes where the parents sit in to see what their money is being spent on. Most of my classes were ok apart from one where there were 13 kids and 13 parents in the class. None of the children had done their homework and they decided not to co-operate at all. One of the girls even started messing about on the whiteboard and her mum encouraged her. How are we meant to get them to work when that happens?

I'm off to the largest electronics market in Asia in Yongsan in a bit. Just had sushi for lunch. It cost about £4 for a big box of it, and I'm listening to Radio 2 at the moment!

Below is the river I go running along every morning. It nice a flat and one side of it has a track made of the stuff in athletics stadiums.

Success At Last!

So I finally have a kid who speaks with an English accent! He's developed it since I've been here and it makes me feel so proud to have done it! That makes him the odd one out as everyone other child has an American accent. Oh well, I'll make him my teacher's pet from now on!
I think I'm going to the horseracing in Seoul on Saturday with a few guys from work. Should be good fun, maybe I'll make some money whilst I'm there. Not likely.
I think I should be in the Korean Olympic team. When I go running in the mornings I seem to overtake every other runner on the path. I had some guy try to high five me when I ran past him. Just looked at him and shook my head!

Go Reds!!

Just picked up my tickets for Korea v Ghana football match on the 8th October. Can't wait, although I'll need to get a red shirt to wear to it!
You can buy tickets from HanaBank which is pretty cool. they only cost 20,000won. I'm going with Eyal, one of the footy guys.

Drama in Itaewon!

So we met in Itaewon before the match and had brunch. We went to a Canadian bar and had food which was ok but expensive. Got to the pitch and found it was dirt, perfect for a really hot day, where it sticks to you and destroys your skin if you fall over!
We took the lead but conceeded three goals quickly. We went in at half time 3-1 down. We played really poorly in the first half and our midfield just wasn't there. Let's just say I was not in the best of moods!
We came out after half time firing on all cylinders. We hit the woodwork a couple of times and then brought the score to 3-2. Then we scored 3 goals quickly to make it 5-3, no-one knows how it happened!!!
I feel so much better when Steve the Korean is playing on the left wing in front of me as he works much harder. I suffered in the heat though so tomorrow at 6am I'm going to get up and do a ton of suicides. This week is all about fitness. I think I've established myself as starting left back after three games at it. Mack seems fine with me being there and we get on well so I'm happy.
Can't wait for the next game now!!!
I may be off to the Philippines in November as there is a football tournament in Manilla then!

Party!

Just got back from a house party for one of the footy guys leaving us. It was good, plenty of beer, steak and English football on the biggest tv I've ever seen! We have a match tomorrow in Itaewon but are meeting up for brunch first. Really looking forward to it, especially as I know more of the guys now.
Went to Krispy Kreme last night with Melissa. They gave us free doughnuts!! And Claire, yes they do have a wall of glaze here. So good!
The Ryder cup is on tv. I see Europe is beating the US again, that's always good for a laugh. Plus it looks like it's nice weather in England.

Work faster, work harder!!!

I have started my genius plan to save money.
Yesterday I got into work and had to have my fifty minute kindy class. It suddenly hit me that I could use them to make me birthday cards!! So I went into class and told the kids what to do and fifteen minues later I had 13 birthday cards ready to send to people at home!!! Expect your Christmas cards to be created in a similar fashion too!

A kid called Jimmy...

So I have one kid in my level 1 class who is called Jimmy. Since I've been here he hasn't done any homework and refuses to do anything in class apart from read his comics. I actually lost my temper with him yesterday and told him to go to see my boss. He refused so I brought in Patricia and left her to deal with him. He's the worst kid ever!!!

On the other hand, most of my other kids are sweet so here's a couple of pics!

Went to the park near Seohyeon on Sunday, The fountain isn't exactly like the Bellagio in Vegas but it's a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

Scary rabbit statue!

Melissa bought me some plants last night. There is life in my apartment! I also got invited to a Korean wedding on the 1st October. I think I have a footy match though, and we all know which I would rather do...

Seoul United 1 St Pats Athletic 1

So we had a tied game for the second in succession. I started the game again but we struggled in the first half and went behind. In the second we came out really well and equalised and looked like we could win the game. I had to go off because I was pretty much dying with a little bit of asthma with 12 mins to go. Then Eyal and I went to TGI Fridays and I had possibly the biggest burger in the world! Add that to the 11 ounze steak from Outback the previous night and I've had a lot of meat this weekend!
I think I've managed to get my computer hooked up to live Premiership games from home so hopefully I'll get to see the great Watford every week now!

Security Guard 1 Larter 0

So I was on my way out last night and took some trash down to the dumpster. You have to have the right colour bag depending on which area you are in so I have pink ones. The security guard was hovering when I got there and decided to inspect my bag. He then ripped it open and took out anything that was plastic and proceeded to yell at me in Korean. Not knowing what he was on about, I just stood there and nodded my head pretending to understand. Apparently recycling here is a big deal!

I'm in love.....

.....with kimbap!
I could eat that stuff every day for the rest of my life, it's so good! I can now order four different types of it in fairly good Korean so I don't look stupid anymore!! Chamchi (tuna) kimbap is the best. It's official.
Tonight I'm going out for some 'beverages' and then this weekend I need to head in to Seoul to pick up some stuff and then on Sunday I'm playing soccer down in Suwon. We're playing the second placed team in the league so it should be tough even though we are currently third.
I think there is a bird or something stuck in the extractor fan thing in my bathroom as it keeps making a noise all through the night. Not sure what to do about it so hopefully it starves to death soon, because it's noisy!!

Now I know what Beckham feels like

So every time I leave the staff room I get greeted by children screaming my name (in joy!). It's like being a footballer! Also, when I have to sign their homework books they love my signature because it's so different to Koreans ones.
Some of my Korean teachers have made further enquiries into my football and definitely want to watch! I think it's my legs they want to watch really! I must not wear my soccer shirt again to school as the sponsor is a shop in Seoul called Fat Boy Clothing Co, so the more advanced kids read this and yell fat boy at me! at which point I go up to the fattest kid in class and tell him he's even fatter!! Trying to tell the kids I'm not fat and it is actually a sponsor is hard to do! At least I can laugh at them today that their national footballing hero Park Ji-Sung is injured for the next three months.

Things I miss about old Blighty

Cheese

And that's about it at the moment! You can't get cheese anywhere it seems!
On the plus side I've found there is a shop that sells my favourite Korean food around the corner from my school. Kimbap is the Korean version of sushi, but replaces the fish with meat and vegatables. It's good. It also only costs a doller for a roll of it which will fill me at lunchtime. It also takes only a minute to order as raising one finger and saying 'hana kimbap' seems to do the trick.
It's going to be lunch every day for a year!
Cisse the soccer captain told me I should be starting the next game which is at home on Sunday down in Suwon. I must have played well then! All the Korean teachers at school want to come and watch me play, it must be my legs!!!
One of my youngest kids wouldn't let go of my arm in class so I decide to do some arm curls with him as the weight holding on. Not only can I teach at school, but I can work out whilst doing it!

England better than Korea?

My last lesson of the day was spent talking only about football! I enjoy my last classes as the students are older and understand almost everything I say to them. I told them about my game on Sunday and so we started talking about football. They came up with loads of english players and managers and started talking about English teams and how they are better than Korean league teams. They talked about the World Cup and then we ran out of time to cover the exercises in the book!

Cheongju 1 Seoul United 1

So I made my debut for Seoul United today. I guessed maybe I'd get given ten minutes at the end of the match but no, they decide to throw me in the starting lineup! I played the whole 90 minutes and did fairly well, almost scoring just before half time with a header and making some good tackles in our own box. It was my first taste of Korean buses too. We meet at the bus terminal in Seoul for the 90 minute trip to Cheongju. Korean buses are more like first class seats on airlines, they're great!
90% of the crowd were female which was cool even though they were supporting the other team!
Our back line consisted of a guy from Uzbekistan in goal, an American, a guy from the Ivory Coast and a Brit (me!). The was also a guy from Mali and some Koreans. Pretty random!
A few of the guys took me out for Korean food after. They fed me the hottest chilli they had because I said I could handle it. It wasn't hot, it was like eating napalm!
Anyway, I'm going to shower as it's been a long day. One of the girls said I should go to some music festival an hour east of Seoul next saturday.

Those were the days

Here's some pics

Every time I get home I find takeaway notices stuck on my door with magnets. This is my collection, not that I'll ever order it in Korean!

The lobby of my aparment block. We have a couple of Korean restaurants downstairs.

My apartment block

This is my local intersection. Everything commercial can be found within two clocks of this and then the residential buildings start.

We have big hills on the East and West of the city, feels like Wales!!

Contact Details

I know you lot are dying to post me stuff so here's my address and phone number if you fancy mailing or phoning.

James Larter
BEATLES English
Bundang UCC Center
200 Geumgok-dong, Bundang-gu
Seungnam-shi
463-805
South Korea

My school address is best as there is always someone there to collect mail.

Home phone:031-1711-1550
Cell:010-8689-0844
Add on international code and lose the 0 at the start of my number

Note to self: Stay away from the soju!

Right now I have a soju induced thumping headache. I was intoduced to the famous Korean drink last night by Robert and Mike and it's not good the next day! My original plans for today were to go to Itaewon and maybe one of the markets in Seoul and then onto the Korea v China rugby match but I think I'll give the match a miss and just do the other stuff. Last night was the first time I saw more than one foreigner at once! There were plenty of GI's out on the piss as it's cheaper to go here than anywhere near their base.
Claire, I've found a Krispy Kreme shop near Samsung Plaza in Seohyeon which is three stops on the subway from where I am. I will be visiting later to see if they have a wall of glaze!
The big news yesterday is that you can buy something on a stick that tastes like a hot dog inside a donut! I saw this thing and wondered what it was so I bought it. Couldn't believe it when I tasted it, a hot dog inside a long donut does not taste good!
I have a ton of pics of stuff to upload but this site won't let me at the moment, so you'll have to wait!

Hangman word of the week - Manchester United!

Hangman is a great way of getting the kids to spell the words that they learnt during the lesson. However, the realise this pretty soon and start to look up the words in their textbooks so I have to come up with new words.
Everyone loves Man Utd in Korea because their golden boy of football plays for them. Everytime they realise that's what they are spelling, they all scream Park Ji-Sung!!!
Koreans are very proud of their sports stars who do well in other countries, be it football, American football or baseball. Unlike the UK, Korean media supports their players even if they don't do as well as they should.
I should be taking pics today.

Immigration

I had my epic voyage to immigration today to get my alien residance card. I left the aparment at 7am and travelled via subway to arrive at the office at 9. Rush hour in Seoul is not pleasant. Crammed in between half of Asia isn't my idea of fun! Anyway, I was only there five minutes and the woman offered to give me a multiple entry visa for free (this annoyed our kiwi teacher as he had to pay 50,000 won. I reckon it's cos she fancied me!).
Yesterday I opened a bank account with Woori Bank. I paid in my cash I brough from home and found I already had 730,000 won (£400) in there as my flight had been repaid. I'm now officially a millionaire!
Just finished my spaghetti bolognese I cooked. It tastes so good!

Spam, spam and more spam

It seems that the greatest contribution that the US has given to South Korea is Spam.
It is everywhere, tins of it, burgers, sandwiches. It even comes in a gift pack wrapped with various limited edition items!
Apparently it got here because after the Korean war there was a huge food shortage so the Americans gave the local population their military rations, which contained spam.
I will resist the spam. I must resist the spam.

Korean TV

I have about 70 channels on my tv, with the usual sorts from home (sports,shopping,films, drama,etc). I can always find something in English on, either film or a comedy. At the moment I can wake up and turn on the US Open tennis. There is always baseball on at least three channels, usually Korean but also some American.
K Pop is the worst thing ever. Cheesy songs sung by girls who look about twelve, which means Joe would be loving it!

The funniest thing is they have two channels that show people playing some computer game that used to be decent about five years ago. It goes on 24 hours a day!

It's Hammer Time!!!

Just got back fom Carrefour. I was waiting at a crossing and this guy came past in his car with Hammer playing from his windows, legend!
I bought a towel, saucepan, pasta and sauce,bread and jam. Most importantly, I bought tonights dinner, gimbap (Korean version of sushi) which only cost 1900 won (£1.30).
Apparently there is a supermarket closer than Carrefour but I have yet to find it so I walk the mile there and mile back.
I have yet to try Soju, the teachers at school said to save it for a friday night as no-one has a good experience with soju the first time. Maybe I should stick with beer!

I'm Here!

I've arrived! Now I have the internet sorted I can finally do stuff online.

I got here on Saturday evening after a good flight from London and was met by some Korean woman. They dropped me off at my apartment with a packet of noodles and left me!

On Sunday I decided to explore the area. It took six hours to find a supermarket, which I still haven't bought anything from yet.

Yesterday I had my first day at school. I have six classes from basic ability up to a pretty high standard (they can spell spaghetti without my help!) The other foreigners all seem nice, although I'm the youngest by three years. A few of us went out for my first Korean meal last night. we had Galbi, which is pork bbq'd on a little grill at your table, its so good! It comes with a ton of sides, one of which was jellyfish. It tasted better than I thought it would!

Right, I'm hungry, so I'm going to venture to the supermarket. Here's a pic of my apartment and its view from the window.

Will post again later.