Jim's Korea

I do not recommend this type of alarm clock.

The boy had crashed into my door. The impact caused a sonic boom because the door is made of metal.

Since Sunmi and I live on the first floor and directly opposite the elevator, we are often disturbed. In addition, most apartment buildings in Korea do not have double entrances. Therefore, first-floor tenants can hear everything from babies crying to adults singing.

When Sunmi and first saw this place three years ago, we thought it was really great. At the time, we could not understand why the elderly occupants had been so eager to leave. Now we do understand.

My mother-in-law has a fantastic eye for fashion. The hanbeok she selected was a hit with my teaching colleagues and students.

Buying one or two hanbeoks is an annual tradition that started just last year. I like to wear this traditional Korean outfit. Semi-formal hanbeoks, like mine, are made of cotton while formal ones are made of silk. Hanbeoks are very comfortable because they are loose and bulky. I usually wear mine while teaching. In addition to comfort, the professional image of a a hanbeok makes it suitable for both work and home.

Oh Yeon Hyang, Sunmi's mother, never tires of dressing up and eating out with her friends. Since she knows little English and Jim's Korean is limited, they often communicate via gestures. As you will see, sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Yeon Hyang recently moved in with Jim and Sunmi. Let's see some journeys.

Was it a person or a chicken?

Sunmi and I spotted a giant rooster driving a scooter. The driver also spotted me, a foreigner. Koreans frequently stare at me but being noticed by a giant rooster is definitely memorable.

The person on the scooter was delivering chicken for a local restaurant. And speaking of chicken restaurants, you won't be disappointed if you fancy poultry. Restaurants deliver one chicken per box. There are no drinks and no potatoes. The only compliments may be pickles or radishes. To satisfy your taste, you can request mild or spicy chicken.

Chicken restaurants are everywhere. Sometimes I think that Korea has more restaurants than actual chickens. If that is the case, what will happen to the industry once all the chickens are gone? Since 2005 is the year of the rooster, chicken people are extremely busy.

Determined to obtain her Master's in Korean language instruction, Sunmi is often seen somewhere among books and paper. Jim's wife also enjoys reading, watching Korean TV shows and spending time with her mom, Oh Yeon Hyang. Her favourite dish is a super spicy Korean dish called kimchi chige. Let's see Sunmi and Jim's adventures.

You never know who you will see.

I was on my way to work when a lady tried to gain my attention through deafening screams and persistent fish gestures. When that failed, she literally pursued me.

Korean vendors can seem quite aggressive; especially if you look like a foreign tourist. It is not uncommon for clerks to follow me all over a store. It is not uncommon for vendors to present an item that I neither wanted nor requested. It is not uncommon. It is just part of my life in Korea.

Yes, this is Jim. He is a Canadian ex-pat residing in Busan with his Korean wife, Sunmi, and his mother-in-law, Oh Yeon Hyang.
As the picture indicates, hiking is Jim's passion. When he is not teaching English, his other favourite pass-times include bowling, taking photos and watching as much TV as possible.

Whether he is eating a shrimp burger or walking to work, Jim always wears a small hat. See various hats of Jim journeys.

This happened in a bowling alley near beautiful Haeundae Beach.

The irony is that I have the exact same problem as the boy. I really enjoy bowling but being Canadian, I grew up with five-pin rather than 10-pin. A five-pin ball, as most people know, is so small that it nestles in your palm. Although I have been 10-pin bowling for years, my arm still hasn't adjusted to the weighty ball.