Beer and Liquor

I really like Cass Fresh. Its a lighter beer, but it has a really good flavor. It is a little bit like Red Stripe. Apparently Cass Red is the best. Its an amber beer. The best part about these beers are the advertisements.

Hite is a crappier version of Cass, and they have ridiculous ads. Just look at how much fun these guys are having together. Its such a party with these four, and they LOVE Hite!

These guys are back and they are ready to party! Tap the Hite Keg! Who knows whats gonna happen with these four animals! They got their white pants on and they are ready to rock and roll!

Soju is a Vodka type drink in Korea. It costs about $1.80 USD per bottle. The ads are also pretty great.

POCARI SWEAT

The Pocari sweat slogan: "POCARI SWEAT is a drink which supplies water and electrolytes lost through perspiration. POCARI SWEAT is quickly absorbed into the body tissues due to its fine osmolality and contains electrolytes for replenishing body fluids. POCARI SWEAT is thus highly recommended as a beverage for such activities such as sports, physical labor, after a hot bath, and even as an eye opener in the morning."

This sports drink is similar to Gatorade and Powerade, but isnt as tasty. It has less sugar and more electrolytes. And works well on Hangovers.

Popular Korean Restaurant

Korean food is some of the best food I have ever eaten. Some typical Korean restaurants give you the meat to cook at your own table. They also have a vent system that relieves the smoke from your tables with long slinky suction devices. Bulgogi (Barbecued beef slices) and dwaeji galbi (pork ribs) are amazing when mixed with steamed rice and a pepper tomato paste that is very popular in Korea. They also serve a stew or soup with most meals that contains tofu and vegetables. The soup broth is amazing if you can handle extremely spicy food. Kimchi is apparently an aquired taste, but is also served with all meals. I have tried it with each meal, and hope to someday enjoy it.

Insadong Seoul

Near our hostel

Downtown Mapo-Gu near Hongik University

Seoul Lights

Our first night in Mapo-Gu Seoul near our hostel

Seoul Lights

First Night in Seoul

Instead of waking at 3am to catch my 6:15 flight we decided to go without sleep. We indulged ourselves at the loading dock, had some drinks downtown, and at my family's place. I was able to hold out until our flight from Denver to San Franciso where I enjoyed an Anchor Steam. When we finally boarded for Seoul it was Cabernet, Rum, and Tylenol PM. En Route, my shoes and a shirt had spilled out of my bag somewhere between St Louis and Incheon.


I have read that Korean strangers can have two sides to them. They can be rude and jump in front of you for taxi's without an apology and can be very helpful. On our first day we experienced both. A woman called for her kid and ran in front of us in the airport customs. This is apparently very common and is not necessarily rude or frowned upon, but upon arrival we saw the good side immediately. We were walking with all of our bags reading directions from a piece of paper and some women helped us who spoke English. They weren't sure where our hostel was, so they entered a store and the local shopkeeper pointed us in the correct direction. Everyone was working really hard to get us to the hostel. It was amazing. This is the side of Koreans that we have seen the most of.

The man who showed us our rooms at the hostel has been a great help. When we inquired about food, he wrote down some dishes for us to eat in Korean characters. Our first taste of Korean food was spectacular. Most restaurants require you to remove your shoes as does our hostel. We sat at a table on the floor with our legs crossed and smiled when they spoke to us in Korean. Everyone speaks to Sandra directly because she looks Asian. The whole kitchen emptied out to watch us eat. I didn't think I was jetlagged, but I have never slept this well.

Photo from Wikipedia.org of Incheon International Airport

Goodbye Chicago, Hello Korea

Saying goodbye to Chicago was easier than I thought. When I get homesick I will think of..

Staying after work at McGees, Beer Pong with Rudy, The Whirlway and Maria, Drinking with Harper until 9am on a Tuesday, Riding my bike through the loop to see Sandra, Ash, and Dan for lunch, Riding through the loop at night empty, Old Town, Logan Square, Lincoln Park, and Wicker Park, Shots with Geno at The Store for no charge, Watching Football with John and Jeff, Softball in Humboldt Park, The Albany house and everyone in it, Watching The Wire with Dan, Cafe Iberico, North Ave Beach, John Huber's guitar work, Harper and Gniadek's couch (My other bed), The Goldenstein Roryers, Sandra's place in Wicker Park, Seeing Tim at Easy Bar, Kara's accent, AliveOne, Shots from Ted,

Alton was a great stop in between Chicago and Korea. Thanks to my Mom and Dad for everything. And to Blake who I cannot thank enough.