The Seoulite

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

1. The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

In a surprising turn of events that reads right out of a Korean action movie… one of Korea’s top SAT instructors reports that he was kidnapped and beaten before he was able to escape to the United States.

Jeffrey Sohn, 38, a well-known SAT Writing instructor drew a salary of 1 billion won per year (almost 1 million US dollars) to teach at the highly-regarded Recas Institute. But according to the Joong Ang Daily, Sohn was kidnapped, taken to a house in the outskirts of Seoul and then beaten.

Why? Did he get an answer wrong on the practice exams? (It’s what probably happens to most of his students at home.) No, his contract was almost finished and his bosses founded out that he was thinking of taking a better offer elsewhere. Better than a million a year teaching SATs? Wow! In the cut-throat atmosphere of education preparation, it’s big money. And often these hagwons are operated in some dirty, sleazy ways. But this is unbelievable!

The president of Recas has been barred traveling out of the country and the police are currently investigating the company. We hope that Jeffrey is safe and recovering well in the states. Apparently he has some leverage in that he has proof that the owners of the school were engaged in cheating scandals with the SAT test.

The Seoulite personally knows people who have worked at Recas and other academies. The atmosphere does have its share of bullying and strong-arm tactics. Of course this environment exists everywhere and in every country. Humans are just cruel creatures… the smart-stupid ones that is. But he takes STRONG offense when the targets of this manipulation are teachers. People with a teacher’s heart usually bear the brunt of mismanagement, office politics and general incompetence because they have a commitment to their students.

It’s the teachers who have to put on a smile and grind through… making up for every other deficit in a school’s management in order to prepare our next generation. Too bad it had to come to this extreme level of gross indecency. I hope this case will blow up those who are destroying the nation’s educational advancement and reputation. It’s time for reforms.

And really, the mothers have a large role in this. They have to stop throwing money at people who are willing to cheat on their children’s behalf. Their children should be groomed into future leaders. Not over-priced followers.

* Photo above used for illustrative purposes.

Summer is over and that means that most restaurants and cafes that served ‘pat bing soo’ (팥빙수) or Red Bean Ice dessert have taken it off their menus! But what’s a Seoulite to do in the dead middle of fall or winter when you want this icy treat?

Go to Hyundai Department store in Apgujeong. There is a famous cafe that has been serving pat bing soo as their main dish for years. Who knows what the name of that place is… real Seoulites tell each other to find obscure places without the use of store names, street names or phone numbers. You should too!

Just go to the top floor of the department store where there is a group of restaurants. Look for the cafe that is designed to look like it’s outdoors. The Seoulite had no idea if he was in the right spot so he started looking at people’s plates and voila! Everyone was eating pat bing soo!

This is THE place to see upper crust Korean baby mamas and baby mamas in training spending the afternoon.

And how is the pat bing soo? EXCELLENT. The ice shavings are permeated with whatever flavor you choose to get. The Seoulite got the Pomegranate flavor. The rice cakes are the best part. They are delicately handmade fresh and they just melt in your mouth.

Here’s a picture of the Hyundai department store. Line 3, Apgujeong Station.

Sweet heavens… this place can get LOUD! This watering hole for the foreign expat community seems to beckon everyone back to those college days of yelling while you’re drinking. If you’re in the mood to remember why you left the western world or want to save an airplane ticket back there… go to the Wolfhound in Itaewon. When they say it’s an Irish pub, it truly is an Irish pub… right down to the drinks, food and environment.

If you’re in the mood for a good burger, apple crumble, mozzerella sticks, caesar salad or any other type of western food done authentically and expertly… the Wolfhound is the best. If you can slip in for an early dinner before the bar crowd arrives, it is awesome. Otherwise, it’s a toss-up of whether you enjoy the juicy burger more… or if you’d rather be saved from a bunch of nuts playing quarters and screaming two feet away from you.

Chicken Caesar Burger

Mozzerella Sticks

Native Koreans come here for the exoticism of a ‘real western’ environment. Gyopos have said ‘Wow, this reminds me of what it feels like to be an outsider.’ And white expats have said, ‘Ah, here is home.’ For whatever it’s worth, the staff here did a great job in creating an authentic venue. The biggest surprise is that the food is sooooo good!

Hours:
Weekdays from 3pm
Saturday & Sunday and Holidays from 11am

Contact:
02-749-7971
http://www.wolfhoundpub.com/

Okay… eww, no. This place has gone downhill. The owner/management has decided to use stock ingredients that taste really cheap-o while jacking up all the prices. For example, the chocolate sauce just comes out of a can. Most of the food now tastes like it came out of a box, package or can. Not to mention, many of the best items from the past are now no longer on the menu. I’m attaching my previous post for reference as to how good it once was. But please save your money and time by going elsewhere.

It’s been two weeks since I first went to this restaurant and I can’t help but go back multiple times. One of the Seoulite’s friends almost eats one meal a day at this restaurant. For the original post click here. Here are some additional dishes that were sizzlingly fierce. Right above is the Croque Monsieur.

Potato Bacon Cream Soup. I haven't had a soup this textured and varied in over a year.

Burger and Fries. Very interesting marinade on the patty. It definitely had the chef's touch... but he tried just a tad too hard with the flavors. There was one too many. But it shows he knows how to work the taste. It's almost like a Father's Office burger in LA. I think he was trying to impress us because we keep bringing him new customers.

The crispy fries showed lots of ingenuity. Halfway between chip and fry.

Tomato and Vegetable Panini. The roasted vegetables are sauteed in olive oil after being grilled. Cheese is great. And the panini is just like the type you get at a UK sandwich shop. Now, only if they could make a red curry panini with that bread!

The Rosti Potato Pancake. By far one of the Seoulite's favorite dishes. We're so scared he will take it off the menu because it takes 20 minutes to prepare and a lot of elbow grease. They shred the potato from scratch. Such good warm comfort food. It's also only served as a dinner side item. But they made an exception for us. So appreciative.

The Affogato. Haagen Dazs ice cream and Illy espresso. So great on their own, but mixed together as it's supposed to... you get a watery mess. Don't get this. But the esperesso drinks are amazing. And of course the flourless chocolate cake is where it's at.

French Blue
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Daechi-dong, 897-8, First Floor
Seolleung Station Exit 2. Make a left after the Burger King. French Blue will be on your right within the first block.
02-566-7940
Open 10AM - 2AM

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

Eww!

Sasha Fierce she was. Beyonce completely rocked the stage at Olympic Stadium last week with her Seoul leg of her “I AM… Sasha Fierce” tour. The Seoulite’s good friend got us free passes and since it was just Tuesday… on we went.

First off we had to have dinner. So we went to the Family Mart convenience store in the park and ate ramen and boiled eggs! It was The Seoulite’s first time eating ramen while standing inside the store next to the instant coffees. Yummy yummy yummy. Maybe I was too excited about Beyonce to notice that I was getting instantly fat from the ramen.

Unfortunately it wasn't like this.

It was more like this.

I did a little research online before going to the concert. Being out of the states keeps The Seoulite at an arm’s distance from the latest music trends. Sasha said this concert and album represented her need to ‘grow artistically’. How many times have we heard that from pop princesses while the true artists will be discovered long after we’re dead? So I thought it would be an adequate evening to see some American-sized smoke and mirrors with some catchy music.

But BAM! Check out this opening y’all! Never seen something this cool in my life.

By the way f(x) who were supposed to open for Beyonce was a no show. According to sources there was a miscommunication between Beyonce’s concert promoter B4H and the artist herself.

Well, if the diva cancels the opening act, she better be getting herself ready to deliver! And that was the biggest surprise to The Seoulite. In an era of so much mediocrity, Beyonce’s performance was 110% of her magical spirit. So much beauty, humanity and grace flowed right from all those booty shakin’ moves right to the audience. She’s the real deal.

The Seoulite’s personal favorite: Irreplaceable

She be singing Happy Birthday to everyone too!

Tribute to Michael Jackson:

And one more tribute:

Oooh what a tease:

People were crying. Getting ugly-faced with their passion. All because they saw a light so bright and more beautiful than anything they’ve seen before. Really, it was that great.

Note: These are not The Seoulite’s videos. So please don’t attribute those cheesy comments in the background to him! He was making an even bigger fool of himself dancing to Single Ladies!

One note about the concert promoters. They put the venue as ‘Olympic Gym’ on the wristbands. This is the Olympic STADIUM. The 1988 OLYMPICS were held here for cryin’ out loud. It ain’t no high school gym. No wonder they messed up the opening act by f(x)!

Yellow dust was pretty intense yesterday.

Want a quick way to check whether you’re just being paranoid about that cough… or whether it really is yellow dust?

Check out this site from the Korea Meterological Agency. It gives you an hourly line graph of yellow dust conditions for all major areas of Korea.

http://web.kma.go.kr/eng/asi/asi_02_02.jsp

Asian Dust (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind or China dust storms) originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Sometimes, the airborne particulates are carried much further, in significant concentrations which affect air quality as far east as the United States.

In the last decade or so, it has become a serious problem due to the increase of industrial pollutants contained in the dust and intensified desertification in China causing longer and more frequent occurrences, as well as in the last few decades when the Aral Sea of Kazakhstan started drying up due to a failed Soviet agricultural scheme.

Areas affected by the dust experience decreased visibility and the dust is known to cause a variety of health problems, not limited to sore throat and asthma in otherwise healthy people. Often, people are advised to avoid or minimize outdoor activities, depending on severity of storms. For those already with asthma or respiratory infections, it can be fatal.

The first known record of an Asian Dust event in Korea was in 174 AD during the Silla Dynasty. The dust was known as 'Uto (雨土)' and was believed at the time to be the result of an angry god sending down dust instead of rain or snow.

I’ve always admired my friend Deanne for being a true NYC fashionista. She grew up in LA, but has obviously found herself very much at home in Manhattan. Sex and the City wannabes be gone! Deanne has nYC fitted around her like a glove… and especially without all the annoying Carrie-isms… not to mention much better hair.

She has started a new fashion blog. And it’s quite quite good. Insightful really. She might be the next Anna Wintour. There’s authenticity and thought behind a lot of her pictures and posts. It’s more like a guide to how to enjoy your life if you and your spouse are both overworked professionals. How do you spend your leisure time and money in the best way possible? Check our her blog! If you didn’t think that becoming a corporate slave was worth it… this is how it’s WORTH IT! EVERY HARD EARNED PENNY!

Now she should come to Seoul and be a contributing editor to TheSeoulite.com. Fashion editor for covering the next Seoul Fashion Week… Deanne… come on over!

dreamsequins.blogspot.com

According to the Korea Herald, the government said it will revise relevant laws so that pedestrians will keep to the right, reversing the system that has been in place for almost a century.

NO!!!!

Bring your candlelights out for this policy!

The current regulation dictating that pedestrians stick to their left stems from a law enforced in 1921, which obliged both people and vehicles to move along their left side. This law changed in March 1946 and called for all vehicles to travel along the right side.

Another reform in December 1961 reinforced the requirement that everyone should walk to their left, whether on the streets or public areas. Good thing! Keep it that way… it only takes a second to get used to and then you realize it’s quite nice.

This is one of the charms of Korea… and by the way… did you know that looking at somebody from your left makes you more open and friendly?

Filmmakers know this... heroes are usually framed to the right of the screen. That means we're looking at them from our left.

Save the last friendly force of energy on the streets of Seoul. Otherwise it will be a rampage!!

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/04/30/200904300050.asp

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.

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 [...]