The Seoulite

Summer’s here. This is how we invite Chinese tourists to Korea! You too!

The Seoulite is expanding his online offerings… now all kpop fans can unite… and date each other! Tired of so-gae-ting? Want to find someone new? Need to just waste some time online by flirting with fellow kpop fans? Well, well, well… go to my new website: www.kpopsingles.com.

Everything is free. You can chat, send messages, do video conferencing and even browse through the kpop zone. We’re just getting started so if anyone wants to volunteer to update the kpop pages with more recent stars, let me know. I only put up my favorites from back in the day…!

A love like this... how romantic.

It’s been only 2 months since he debuted, but Tae Goon (태군) is going overseas. He will be on his way to continue the Korean Wave. He recently concluded his promo activities here in Korea for his debut track Call Me and will launch promo activities in Pattaya and Bangkok in Thailand from March 21-22 under the title ‘Call Me Tae Goon’.

Tae Goon will also perform 'My Girl' there for the first time. The trip will also see to the launch of his official fan club in Thailand and a fan meeting marking the establishment of his official website.

His schedule includes an appearance on 9 Entertain, on Thailand's Channel 9, and on the nationwide radio station Seed 97.5, as well as interviews with newspapers and magazines. MTV will also trail him throughout the trip to cover the entire itinerary.

If you’re walking along Sinsa-dong behind the Ferrari dealership on your way to Dos Tacos… you may stumble upon this cafe that looks like it’s part of someone’s patio of a mid-century house in West Germany. It is indeed South Korea… but the cafe is part of a duplex if you take a close look. No matter… it’s the inside (and the cute outside) that counts. This place has ‘new favorite secret spot’ written all over it.

There are specials listed... but many don't change. If you go for lunch... get the green chicken curry. It's what the servers are always eating too. There are real bay leaves in the dish.

From certain angles, it looks like you tripped into a friend's apartment in the Czech Republic. The art here changes every monthly and it's for sale as well.

Sturdy furniture for lots of reading, writing and people watching.

In the afternoons, you may even be able to meet the artists and share a cup of tea while you see them work.

Hungry? Have a four-cheese pizza. The food here has the homey taste of a bed and breakfast.

Here is an assortment of sausages, carrots and broccoli.

Shin Seung Hun filmed music jams over at OPP. This is definitely a celebrity dive type of place. The espresso here is quite amazing.

To get there all you need to do is take along a seeing-eye dog because you will swear your sense of direction has become blind. Go to the Ferrari dealership. If you don’t know where that is… stand in front of Benihana and look across the street.

Once you find the Ferraris go into the alley and then make a left at the second alley. OPP will be on your right. Closest subway? Apgujong Station exit 3. But from there you will be coming from a completely different direction. Get a homing piegeon. Or consult this map if you can read Korean.

Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5

Phone: (02)2238-3437

What’s the best job in the world? Well, for some it would be getting paid $150,000 to take care of a portion of the Great Barrier Reef for six months. Ho-hum. Where’s the traffic, smog and constant fighting with people? The Seoulite would rather stay here to work his butt off and wash it all down with a nice glass of wine each night.

So… help my friend Jonathan Juweon Kim get the job of a lifetime, so that I can take his job. He kinda sorta promised. Anyhow, it’s a great application and he’s an awesome guy!

You can vote for him here: http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/shortlisted-applicants/watch/sE33o1dgstA

What’s the job description?

In between travelling to various islands of the Great Barrier Reef, the Island Caretaker will live at Blue Pearl, a beautiful three-bedroom home on Hamilton Island featuring stunning views of the Whitsunday Islands, modern facilities and exquisite furnishings.

The bright, airy interior features three spacious bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, state-of-the-art entertainment system, ceiling fans, air-conditioning and laundry facilities.

The Island Caretaker will enjoy Blue Pearl’s outdoor areas including a private plunge pool/spa with exceptional views, sun lounges, large balconies and the traditional Aussie barbeque. A golf buggy is also included with the house, so you can explore the island with ease.

Yeah, sounds real nice… but where can you get botox, a flu shot, facial and laser resurfacing under one hour all in one location? Mmmm-hmmm… didn’t think so.

Jonathan is currently #3 “y’all” - a throwback to his Texan heritage… though why do you hide your LA roots Jonathan?)…. So vote vote vote and hopefully he will be on the island… like Jin and Sun from LOST.

You can see the rankings here: http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/most-votes

The site is in numerous languages. So read in Korean, English, French, German, Chinese and others!

Okay, so it does look like heaven. Wow!

http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/shortlisted-applicants/watch/sE33o1dgstA

Wandering around Seoul can be much like the Australian Outback, but if you ever crave a meal at the Outback Steakhouse… you are in luck. Move your big butt to get an awesome blossom (deep-fried onions) or garlic steak.

This American chain… yes, American… has 101 outlets in South Korea. In 1997, it entered the South Korean market through the franchise agreement with Aussie Chung Inc. Outback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida, with over 900 locations in 21 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It specializes in steaks and other offerings in an Australian-inspired environment.

Here’s an example of the heavy commerical advertising that has allowed the chain to take over the country.

Despite its theme, Outback Steakhouse serves American cuisine, with Creole influences. All meat is lighty seasoned, including a 17 spice blend for the steaks themselves. Most seafood items are served with a Creole remoulade sauce.

Be careful though! The use of fats in such liberal quantities has brought the chain under fire from health advocates: Men's Health magazine recently condemned Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries as 'The Worst Food in America,' with 182 grams of fat and nearly 3,000 calories per order.

The Bloomin' Onion is a signature Outback item. It is a one pound onion cut to 'bloom' open, breaded, deep-fried and served with mayo-horseradish sauce.

Why go? But if you must: http://www.outback.co.kr/intro/intro.html

A bit of advice on how to save money at Outback here.

A case study on the successful business model of Outback Steakhouse in Korea here.

However, it is much better to save all the money you’d spend at Outback (it is overpriced) to go on a trip to the real Outback… in Australia!

There is Ayers Rock... a site that is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Its original name is Uluru and it is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The Outback refers to remote arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside of the main urban areas. The term 'the outback' is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas deemed 'the bush.' Personally, the Seoulite would opt for the remote beaches.

Stand face to face with nature.

Or face to face with a horny devil.

Or you can stay in Seoul to come face to face with the Red Devil during football matches.

Ah, beautiful sunset.

Hi, I’m Sean Lim, an American expat living in South Korea.  This is my blog about becoming a Seoulite.

What is a Seoulite?
A ‘Seoulite’ (서울깍쟁이) is a citizen of Seoul, just as a ‘New Yorker’ is a citizen of New York. Of course the label ‘Seoulite’ doesn’t simply denote a place of residence [...]