Muses along the way…

Here’s a highlight of a typical concept in Korea, the concept of a "bang" (방)/rooms. You’ll see a lot of these if you ever visit ANY part of Korea……

• Nore-bang:
  "Song room" as the direct translation has it, is basically the same as a karaoke/KTV with individual singing rooms.
  Do note however, there are the two typical types of norebangs. First, the ‘clean’ ones, where families and friends can enjoy a fun night out singing - the Koreans love singing.
  Second, is the ones with the ‘extra service’ where the moment you sit down, you’d be asked if you needed company, whom will probably entice you with alcohol, or more… xxx
• Nore gayo-bang (update!):
  I guess its the same as a nore-bang, except that "gayo" implies that they have more traditional Korean music…… The three words - 연습장 (yeonseubjang) means "work/practice book". It also means its clean (no extra company).
• Game-bang:
  Walk in, and choose from a long list of games you’d like to play, while sipping on an order of lemonade. Anything from Jenga to chess. Its actually pretty cool~
• Soju-bang:
  Typical drinking place where friends meet up, and have a few rounds of soju (Korean liquor) and a good night out. Usually you’d order up some roasted cuttlefish, nuts and chips to go with the drinks.
• Jimjil-bang:
  "Steam" room. Steaming saunas, soaking pools of various water temperatures, naked men and women (segragated) - believe you me…. its embarassing for me too. That says it all.
• PC bang:
  All workstations are equipped with webcam, online gaming capabilities and mic/headphones. Just sit down and do whatever you want - email, online games, surf… etc.
• Hanyag-bang/guk:
  Korean medicine room.
  Sells traditional Korean medication.
• Sarang-bang/Love-bang (update!):
  "Sarang" means "love". But it does not translate into "Love-room", as of when I wrote this blog last…… sorry!
  "Sarang-bang" was a room in a traditional Korean home, where the husband studied and entertained his guests. There’s also a local newspaper called sarang-bang, which is where this picture/advertisement came from.
  However, the "Sarang-bang" or "Love-Bang" (러브방) names are often what some of the whoring businesses call themselves…… and that is true!
• DVD-bang:
  Pick a DVD and watch it in the comfort of your own mini-room/theater. Let’s just put it this way, not everyone goes there for movies. I have heard some DVD bangs come equipped not with a couch, but a bed. Go figure.
• Coffee-bang (update!):
  Looks like innocent place for coffee? Not really…… usually involves girls (agashis) sitting down next to you while having a cuppa.

This was at the site carpark when I was in Bahrain - its male/female segregated. It might seem strange for some of us, but if thats the local culture/religion of the Muslim believers, I guess we should respect that…

Thank God Bahrain is open enough, that non-Muslims/foreigners don’t have to abide by these rules!

Took this pic on the way to work yesterday morning.  It just occured to me, I face this s*** everyday driving to work:  A two-lane 7 kilometer road with construction on-going along the way, overtaking trucks driving at excessively slow speeds, and a dirt-gravel road with pot-holes that lasts forever.

God is truly looking over me! Though, did I mention I actually swerved my car at 140kmph one time…. ?

Mate…… my ol buddy that’s travelled through over a dozen countries with me finally gave up. Yes, my old headphones died in the middle of writing a song with my guitar cranked up!

But I quickly got over my overwhelming sense of sadness, and went shopping at Carrefour…… and I got my new pair of SONY MDR-Q55SLs.

Incidentally, I was kinda wishing nice girlfriends were that easy to find too

One of the first things you’ll notice on your first trip here to Korea, is that there are many neon crosses all over the place - Christian and Catholic churches.

Incidentally, if you read Korean, you’d probably see just as many motel and ‘love rooms’……

Here’s a picture of the first motel I checked into, prior to getting my apartment in Suncheon. It came complete with the discrete ‘enter from the back’ carpark, suggestive bedroom red-lights, kinky 5-piece combination shower and jacuzzi, as well as the wee accesory I found by the phone cabinet - GO FIGURE!

Now, I pissed myself laughing (again) when I checked into a motel during the weekend in Pusan. It came with this:

and also the instructions……

I guess I’d continue staying in one of these during my travels because its rather inexpensive, and very clean - just put aside the unhealthy image. Whether you want to use the ‘accessories’…… That’s all up to you.

p.s: It just occured to me there might be minors reading this site, so I editted the pictures…… mail me if you want the originals.

Haeundae beach, Pusan…… not exactly a beach I’d want to go to, unless I enjoy the company of ‘500,000 of my closests friends‘! (quote from Lonely Planet - Korea). Took this on last weekend’s trip.

Was in Pusan again this weekend. Went around to Haeundae beach, and Beomeo -sa (temple). Was a pretty good trip up to the temple. Though I’m not into the Buddhist teachings, I thought this little piece I found on a leaflet was worth a ponder. Hope yous can read Korean or Mandarin! If not, take home these few thoughts:

2. Life’s biggest failure, is to be too proud.

8. Life’s biggest admiration, should be to improve oneself.

9. Life is bankrupt when you loose hope.

10. Life’s most immense wealth is health.

Went to New York City one winter and saw this guy playing on the street.

I pissed myself laughing and had to take a picture of him. Its a scanned picture prior to my digital camera days - excuse the shoddy quality.

Found out later he was pretty famous. I think he’s been on the Howard Stern show too! Visit: www.nakedcowboy.com

Got inspired to post this when I recently spoke to this girl who happens to be in the Middle East, and I remembered this piece…… I took some pictures while visitting an exhibition of Middle Eastern caligraphy at the Al-Makthoum house in Dubai (UAE). I thought they were really quite unique….. at least compared to the caligraphy I’m used to!

Was walking around Pusan’s Jagalji market on Saturday’s trip, and decided to take a picture of the ‘lucky pig’s head’.               Warning: Picture might be offensive! ->                                                                                                     

Usually reserved to be used during big occasions as offerings, it is readily available at certain markets around Korea. Apparently there’s a whole section at Namdaemun market in Seoul that’s devoted to selling these.

Incidentally, last week was a pretty big deal for us, where we started up our power plant’s first newly installed gas turbine (refer to picture). The main contractor at our job site had the pig’s head laid out with incense, cakes and fruit for the initiation ritual.

I guess the pig head is better than splattering blood off a dead goat’s head all over the machine, like they do in some parts of the world…… as I have heard.