2019 Yeouido Flower Festival

Winter has passed and spring has come, and with it the annual Yeouido Flower Festival, featuring the cherry blossoms, and my annual post about it. The weather has been slow to recognize that spring has sprung, and I was worried the flowers would be slow, too. Judge for yourself:


So, they were there in profusion, and so were the flower-lovers. And I was happy to see the Yeongdeungpo-gu officials have upgraded the trash receptacles--until a few years ago there were virtually none to be found. They also added a photo-op focused on the flowers.


There were the usual street performers and artists, but I did not see a single mascot offering photo-ops, and instead there was a display of children's books--I'm all about books, but I like a photo with a dragon or Lego samurai as well ...


A couple more flowers, these from my neighborhood when I got home, and a selfie.

FC Seoul & Me, 2019

The thirty-sixth season of the Korean professional soccer league began on March 2nd--FC Seoul played the next day, Sunday, and played pretty well, especially on defense, winning 2 - 0 vs. Pohang. While I was there, I did not take pictures. But for today's third game, against a strong Jeju United squad, I thought of you, Dear Reader, and snapped a few pix. Upon arriving at the venue, I saw this series of life-size cutouts of the team, and had to get a shot:


While I had the phone camera up, I got a photo with the new mascot. The mascot is a 도깨비 goblin from Korean mythology, though the new one seems to be a half-human one. I've reposted a pic from some years ago below it for comparison.


As has been the case for several years, the plaza next to the stadium has a play area, putatively for kids--although I suspect at least one part of the event is geared more for the dads:


(and I should point out the temperature was in the single digits!)

This pic is the kickoff, and both teams played pretty well, with Jeju gradually gaining the upper hand, at least in the first half, but neither team managed much in the way of real chances throughout. Seoul heated up toward the end but came away empty-handed and the result was a scoreless tie.


Next home game is March 30 against current #1 Sangmu. Stay tuned.

PS: click on "soccer" in the label cloud to see loads of FC Seoul posts through the years.

Baekseok Graduation 2019

Friday was Graduation Day at my school--sixth graders get a diploma before going off to middle school in about two weeks. Here are two of my fav students on the stage, where they bow and shake hands with the principal, come to the center and bow, then hug their homeroom teacher before exiting:


Their classmates look on, awaiting their turn:


This school only recognizes two groups of exceptional students, whereas Yangmyeong went through about six or so such groups, not sure what as my Korean skills aren't up to the task. But other than that, they get their certificate then bow to the audience.


At Baekseok, parents/family members get to sit with their graduates, and a nice moment is built into the ceremony when the kids and parents get a touching moment together.


Here's a graduation from Yangmyeong for comparison: http://seoulpatch.blogspot.com/2016/02/school-graduation.html

After the ceremony, everyone goes home … at everyplace else I've worked. BUT not at this school, where the teachers have to finish out the day--the principal seems to think that "being a strict principal" makes teachers better, rather than making them feel unappreciated and overworked. To be fair, I could have left, but it would have cost me vacation time (unlike any other school) so I got a free lunch and did a few minor tasks. After that, I watched the movie "Iron Man" on my computer for the first time--it actually was pretty fair.

Mainly, I just looked out at the blanket of snow coating Seoul and remembered that on Sunday I'm going to Cambodia for some R-n-R on the beach.

Thailand, 2019: Koh Chang

As mentioned below, I spent my winter break in Thailand, with Bangkok as my starting point. I arrived at Don Mueang Airport on New Years Day.


I usually arrive at Suvarnabhumi, where at taxi to downtown runs 300 Bt. These guys wanted 900 Bt (!!!), so I took the city bus, about one hour, around the same time, for 50 Bt. Along the way, I caught a glimpse of a fairly famous building that is shaped like an elephant. The only decent shot I got was this head-on one. The gold dots are the tusks.


I stayed on Khaosan Rd, bushy-tailed young backpacker heaven, world-weary expat hell. I stayed just off the road where it was very quiet, a place called Yes Khaosan (single room, 600 Bt), which I can recommend--beware, the mattresses are thin. Here are some pics to provide a flavor of the road--it's the same as it has always been, only the prices have increased. In 2011, a Singha beer averaged 40 Bt, now it's 90 Bt.


That last is a portrait of the new king, which has replaced the old king in adorning every self-respecting Thai business.

On the third day, I took a white van from hotel in Bangkok to hotel on Koh Chang (Elephant Island). It left at 10 AM and arrived at the ferry landing at 4:30. I got to Happy Huts on the very south tip of Koh Chang at 7:15. The cost was 1000 Bt. Curiously, the same trip in reverse a week later was 600 Bt. (100 Bt is around USD 3.) Klong Kloi beach is a kind of community of a couple dozen bungalow properties and restaurants that share a fine stretch of SSW-facing beach. You will be greeted by this sign:


Family Huts is a new property that is well-managed by Ying, and is very solidly built. However, a second window is sorely lacking to allow good cross-ventilation--this is something I've noticed throughout SE Asia: older is better, as long as the bathroom is fully functional. In the past, I've stayed at Porn's Bungalows at Kaibae, but I'm glad I got to explore Klong Kloi.


So, the steel is made in Vietnam. Interesting, but what am I to make of this information?

As I mentioned, the beach is quite nice, and not very busy, especially considering this is high season. The weather wasn't great at first, as the remnants of the southern typhoon reached us. Not in the form of rain, but high waves. Look at this, from Saturday:


Here's what it looked like once the sea calmed:


A really great beach. There are loads of chill places, but my favorite soon became Chan Siam Bar. That's Chan in the last one.


I have taken and posted hundreds and hundreds of food shots on this blog, and more than a hundred, I estimate, of Thai food. So, I'll just choose two pics of Western food that were simply stellar! The first is an "infused" (meaning marinated, spiced beef) cheeseburger for 235 Bt (about USD 7) at The Journey, run by a young Brit from Stoke who really knows his way around a grill. His possibly tops mine, but partly due to an amazing bun he has made at a bakery on White sands.

The second is obviously a pizza, pepperoni mushroom for 250 Bt from a place--sorry, I can't remember the name--right by Family Huts. Four kinds of mushroom and some legit mozzo. Honestly, I cannot remember a better pizza in my life!


There ya go! Twenty-one pictures documenting twelve days in … if not paradise, a warm, sunny beach on the Gulf of Siam, a definite contrast from an icy Seoul, temperature of -16 C on the morning I left Incheon.

Christmas Cake 2018, and I Meet My Hero

Granted not much has been going on here in my Patch of Seoul, but not a year has gone by that I haven't proudly posted a photo of my Christmas Cake, a delightful Korean tradition. To wit:


Taking advantage of a day without a schedule, I popped over to Incheon Airport to buy baht and dollars for my upcoming vacation to Thailand, which I anticipate will be a restful two weeks on a warm beach of Koh Chang, east of Bangkok, near the Cambodian border. It was here, at the airport, that I had a photo opportunity with my idol, hanging out at a little restaurant on the Arex mezzanine. If I had a chicken leg for every time I heard someone in this country (and some other countries, too) walk past me and murmur to their friend, "KFC!", I would be buried in chicken legs. Come to think of it, not a bad way to go.


I had hoped to include some pics of the MagLev train, but it was quite a disappointment: the entire journey 12 minutes, 5 stops, with a maximum speed of 78 kmph. So instead, here is a photo of an Arex plush doll usurping seating that is supposed to be reserved for pregnant women. And looking very self-satisfied about it.


And Merry Christmas to All!