tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55543462012-01-28T17:48:11.979ZSteve Goes TravellingDazed and Confucianismstevenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1149022421576693562006-06-03T12:44:00.007Z2012-01-22T14:20:58.718ZJapan - Part II (26.54)Here's part two in a series of films about Japan. stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-23598647279650639712006-05-24T11:48:00.006Z2012-01-22T14:22:47.852ZJapan - Part IHere's the first part in a series of films I made whilst living in Japan.stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1144871353283447202006-03-04T04:22:00.000Z2007-07-04T15:02:10.227ZUnbelievably, I'm finally packed and ready to go. I've had a wonderful time in South Korea and it has been better in more ways than I could have ever imagined.From the delights of traditional Korean cuisine in Jeonju, to the last remnants of the Cold War in the Demilitarised Zone, South Korea has proved to be a remarkably fascinating country that I have enjoyed enormously.As always when stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1141756540383030352006-02-25T06:35:00.007Z2012-01-27T12:43:11.704ZReturn to the Demilitarised ZoneI first visited the Demilitarised Zone(DMZ) last September and on Saturday I returned, to find out more about the events that have shaped the Korean peninsula since it was first divided in two, following the Second World War.Like a bizarre Cold War theme park, there are a number of tours you can take in the DMZ and one of the most popular ones is the Panmunjoem stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1141732255158731372006-02-16T11:50:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:28:13.001ZHyangwonjeong Pavillion(Gyeongbokgung)stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1141681032506968862006-02-12T09:24:00.005Z2012-01-22T14:04:17.477ZGeunjeongjeon Main Hall(Gyeongbokgung)Gyeongbokgung is by far the most famous and beautiful of all the palaces in Seoul and with a history spanning more than 500 years, it is also one of South Korea's most popular tourist attractions.Built in 1395 by the founder of the Joseon Dynasty(1392-1910), King Taejo(r. 1392-1398), it served as the main residence for royalty, up until it was burnt down in stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114091436037020562006-01-23T13:50:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:30:28.732ZMasksstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1139830336346017352006-01-16T11:16:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:30:42.725ZGamesSouth Korea has the world's highest rate of per capita broadband connectivity at 70 percent and out of a population of 48 million, it is estimated that there are 17 million gamers.Wherever you are in South Korea you're never far away from a 'PC bang'(PC room). The dimly-lit, smoke-filled dens of online activity, provide the opportunity for the nation's youth to escape to a fantasy world stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1138610473128196592006-01-03T08:38:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:07:01.122ZStatue of King Sejong(Deoksugung Palace)On the grounds of Deoksugung Palace proudly sits the statue of King Sejong(r. 1418-1450). Born in 1397, he is widely regarded as one of Korea's greatest kings during the Joseon Dynasty(1393-1910) and is renowned for his cultural achievments, as well as improving the welfare of the Korean people.His mastery of Confucian doctrine enabled him to successfully stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1137238611641415652005-12-17T11:35:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:30:59.759ZWinterstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1136615255225045982005-12-14T06:26:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:07:59.960ZBreakdancing in Seoul.stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1135695798812296392005-11-28T13:03:00.002Z2012-01-28T17:48:11.991ZMaya Tathagata Buddha Gyeongju - Part IVOn the slopes of Mount Hamwol, some 20 km east of Gyeongju, is the Golgulsa Temple. Famed for being the only cave temple in South Korea, it is believed to have been built in the 6th century by Buddhist monks from India.It is also provides a destination for those wishing to get away from their busy, materialistic and stressful lives, to participate in the stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1134213134319850342005-11-21T11:11:00.005Z2012-01-22T14:24:02.005ZLet's Get Ready To RambleGyeongju - Part IIIAround Gyeongju there are hundreds of scattered remains from the Silla period. In particular, Mount Namsan is home to many Buddhist relics from this era, when during this time it was regarded as a sacred mountain.At 494 metres high, its rugged peaks and beautiful scenery provide a popular destination for South Korea's huge brigade of hikers who flock tostevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1132753800741751192005-11-17T13:44:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:37:29.000ZDabotap Pagoda(Bulguksa)Gyeongju - Part IIThe next stage of my trip took me to South Korea's most famous temple, Bulguksa, which means 'Buddha Land Temple'. Home to the Jogye order of Buddhist monks, it was originally built in 528 and then later abandoned. Rebuilt in 751 by the chief minister Kim Tae-song to pacify the spirits of his parents, it was completed in 774, when it received its present stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1132752549171690712005-11-14T13:08:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:10:59.315Z
Gyeongju
Part I
I first visited Gyeongju a couple of weeks after my arrival in South Korea, for the annual Traditional Rice Cake and Alcohol Festival held there, which I enjoyed immensely and ever since going I've been promising myself I would go back.
One of South Korea's most popular tourist destinations, visiting Gyeongju is like taking a time machine back into the past and last weekend I stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1132405291391738152005-11-03T13:00:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:35:43.565ZAutumnstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1131790564905999562005-10-30T13:56:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:27:28.641ZGoal!Today, I went to The World Cup Stadium to see FC Seoul play Busan I'Park. The 64,000 all seater stadium was purposely built for the World Cup and has been the home ground for FC Seoul for the past two years.Joint hosts of the tournament along with Japan in 2002, South Korea exceeded all expectations, beating along the way teams such as Italy, Portugal and Spain before finally losing 1-0 to stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1141682010825909932005-10-28T09:52:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:35:59.195ZLanternsstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1131281017198636872005-10-26T12:43:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:38:47.572ZTomb of King SeongjongOn Saturday, I decided visit the Royal Tombs of Seoul, to find out more about the Joseon kings and queens who played such an important role in Korea's history and culture for over 500 years.I firstly decided to visit the Seonjeongneung Royal Tombs, situated in southern Seoul. Not far from the Gangnam, the area provides a tranquil getaway from the surrounding stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1130767911889476742005-10-20T13:31:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:38:53.455ZUnjunsaAfter visiting the Memorial Park I went back into the city centre, where I got on a bus to Unjunsa, which is located 40 km to the south of Gwangju and is famous for the large number of Buddha statues there. Situated in a beautiful valley, miles away from anywhere, the area is shrouded in mystery and mythology, regarding how the statues came into being.Legend has it that there were stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1138110141988973482005-10-17T12:59:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:39:02.978ZMemorial Park(Gwangju)Centre to some of the most tragic events to have occurred in South Korea's recent history, what happened here is now viewed as being crucially important in bringing about political change, in a country that was ruled by a dictatorship following the Korean War.On May 17, 1980, the South Korean government led by General Chun Doo-hwan, declared martial law across the whole stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1129205973436712782005-10-03T12:05:00.005Z2012-01-22T14:13:52.747Z
Andong Mask Dance Festival
Last weekend, I visited the city of Andong, which is the largest city in the North Gyeonsang Province. With a population of 185,000 it is surrounded by some beautiful countryside and acts as the market centre for agriculture in the area.
During the Joseon Dynasty, the city of Andong became famous for being the centre of confucianism in Korea and was home to many stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1128352097320203952005-09-28T15:06:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:39:19.998ZPassport to Pyongyang(Dorasan Station) stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1128169238525075122005-09-26T11:49:00.002Z2008-08-22T10:58:34.861+01:00The Demilitarised ZoneAfter the Second World War and the surrender of the Japanese troops who had occupied Korea, the nation was divided between the Soviet controlled north and the American controlled south, along a boundary known as the 38th Parallel. Splitting the peninsula in two, in 1948 it became the border of the newly independent countries of North and South Korea.In 1950 war broke out stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1127122753092545582005-09-19T08:59:00.001Z2008-02-17T17:39:37.642ZChuseokEvery year on the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, the Harvest Full Moon Festival is held, which is known as Chuseok.It's a three day holiday which lasts from the 17th to the 19th of September this year. One of the most important Korean holidays, it allows people to leave the cities and visit their home towns, to spend time with their families.During the holiday, family members pay stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1127195664775761712005-09-14T05:53:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:46:08.946ZBoats(Busan)stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1126450060347873212005-09-11T14:42:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:29:34.486ZHere's the final short film of my trip to the Dano Festival in Gangneung, showing the Hapyeong Dapgynori. stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1126370325768754492005-09-07T12:33:00.005Z2012-01-22T14:29:43.583ZHere's part two of my trip to the Dano Festival in Gangneung. stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1126371028680492022005-09-03T12:47:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:30:04.890ZIn June, you may remember, I visited the Dano Festival in Gangneung. I had a wonderful time and it gave me a far greater insight into many aspects of Korean culture.Check out part one below, which includes amongst other things a shamen ceremony, women dressed in traditional Korean clothes(hanbok) playing a game of tuho and a visit to the market, where there was a rather interesting medicinal stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1126011568952075002005-09-01T11:45:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:48:31.043ZChangdeokgung Palace(Main Hall)Changdeokgung is one of the original five palaces of the Joseon Dynasty and was constructed between 1405 and 1412, as an auxiliary palace to Gyeonbokgung by King Taejong. It has experienced a turbulent history and along with Gyeonbokgung was burnt down in 1592, when the Japanese armies invaded.Rebuilt in 1609, it became Seoul's main centre of power until 1868, afterstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1125495409320495142005-08-24T13:35:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:20:03.691ZGangnamstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1125225615533557452005-08-20T14:39:00.003Z2012-01-22T14:20:00.941ZTokebi StormToday, I went to see 'Tokebi Storm', a Korean show blending traditonal music with contemporary themes and rhythms.The group was formed in 1995 by South Korean playwright, Ye In-dong. Having achieved much success in South Korea, the group then went on to have lots of international acclaim, including winning the Herald Angel Award For Music, at the Edinburgh Festival in 2000.In Korean 'stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1123504077323278572005-08-12T12:26:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:19:53.612ZGuksadang ShrineOn Saturday, I decided to take a hike a up Mt. Inwangsan, on the northern side of Seoul. Once the home to wild tigers which died out just over a century ago, it is now famous for being home to Guksadang, Seoul's most important shamanist shrine.Getting off at Dongnimmun station, just north of Gyeonbukgung Palace, I began my walk along the path upwards. Unfortunately not to the stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1124369689736389152005-08-10T12:54:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:49.848ZTuhostevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1123148746157546832005-08-07T09:45:00.007Z2012-01-22T14:41:49.867ZJagalchi Fish MarketJagalchi Fish Market is the largest in South Korea and is famous for its fresh fish, the noisy deal making that goes on in the early hours between retailers and the peculiar local accent of the Jagalchi women who work there.After the Korean War ended in the 1950s, women came to play an important role in the market and as a result they have the rather quaint nickname of 'stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1123139169150353032005-08-03T07:00:00.003Z2012-01-22T14:19:44.740ZBeomeosa TempleThe next day, I went to the Beomeosa temple, one of Korea's oldest Buddhist temples, which lies at the foot of Mount Geumjeongsan, to the North of Busan. The temple was originally founded in 678 AD by the priest Uisang-daesa.Legend says that one day golden fish came down from Nirvana to play in a well at the top of the mountain, which caused the water to glimmer like gold. Hence stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1123074119549110252005-08-01T12:02:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:31.286ZMin-ju and Yang-sukOn Saturday afternoon, I set off on my holiday to Busan. Despite a couple of minor hiccups that involved me missing my train, I finally arived at Busan Station in the late afternoon and I checked into my hotel at around 5.00pm.Busan is South Korea's second largest city and is also the world's 3rd busiest container port and has a certain ambience that making it different to stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1122888132808626482005-07-23T08:47:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:26.877ZNamdaemun MarketNamed after the nearby Namdaemun Gate, Namdaemun Market is one of the biggest wholesale markets in South Korea, covering a total of over 10 acres. Established in 1414, it is also the oldest and largest, with over a 1000 shops, retailers, stalls and vendors selling anything and everything that you could possibly imagine.Namdaemun is renowned for being inexpensive and small stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1122301616788906982005-07-18T13:13:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:23.195ZBoryeong Mud FestivalLast Saturday, I went to the Boryeong Mud Festival on the western coast of Korea, about two and a half hours drive from Seoul. It is held along the 3.5 km long white sand beach of Daecheon, which is surrounded by mudflats, now the area's most valuable asset.Daechon is a town which feels not unlike the commercialised resorts in Britain with its theme park rides and large stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1116211004843271042005-07-03T02:36:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:32:30.268ZHere's a short film of the Admiral Yi Sun-shin Festival. stevenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1116228474189517112005-06-23T07:25:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:19.309ZBuddha(Lotus Lantern Festival)stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1119176942594107152005-06-17T10:28:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:16.234ZNorth Korean SubmarineAfter the festival, I walked around Gangneung for what seemed to be a neverending quest for a beer and something to eat. I eventually ended up in a bar called Bacchus, where I met the owner Chung Song who kindly sat down for a few drinks with me. It was an enjoyable evening, as it always is when meeting new friends and Song very generously offered to take me around the stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1119176781486767962005-06-14T10:24:00.001Z2012-01-22T14:19:12.275ZDano FestivalGangneung is a town situated on the north eastern coast of Korea and is famous for the Dano Festival, a shaman festival which dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty(918-1392).The festival is the biggest held in the area throughout the entire year and begins on the fifth day, of the fourth month of the lunar calender.On the first day of the festival it is believed that spirits come down stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1119176857396874062005-06-04T10:26:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:19:08.300ZWakeboardingTravelling around Asia I've had plenty of opportunities to try different sports that I otherwise probably wouldn't have tried back home.In Thailand I got to go kayaking through caves and mangrove swamps, as well as rock climbing and snorkelling when I visited some of the countries beautiful islands. Amazing experiences that I'll never forget and hopefully one day, when I return, I'll stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1119086377053091772005-05-23T08:56:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:03.955ZOld FriendsAfter watching the X Games I went to Gangnam, to meet up with some of my old students, who I first met whilst teaching in England. I was taken aback by the number of people who turned up and it was so nice of everybody to have made such an effort. One of my friends Jeon, had even travelled the length of Korea from the Busan area to come out with us.It was so great to see everyone, moststevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1119364509620410102005-05-22T14:10:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:11.130ZX GamesYesterday, I went to the X Games in Seoul, to see all manner of death defying acrobatics and dangerous stunts, all of course in the name of sport.The X Games is an extreme sports event that was devised by the TV channel ESPN and was first held in 1995 in Rhode Island. It changed it's name to the X Games the following year and the first ever Asian X Games took place in 1998.The event was stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114347606844550392005-05-19T12:59:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:16.345ZJanggistevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1118322292929677352005-05-18T12:04:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:21.897ZIn Korea you get lots of national holidays added to your weekend, so last Monday I went back to Icheon for the World Ceramics Biennial with my friends Kate, Jo and Laura.Ceramics in Korea have a long and rich history dating back over a thousand years, when techniques for producing them were adopted from China. Korean artisans using these methods adapted them to give them their own distinct stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114347637266450702005-05-15T13:00:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:26.701ZSilkworm Larvaestevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1116749068560437832005-05-12T07:57:00.000Z2007-08-11T10:09:22.098ZLotus LanternsAfter arriving in Seoul at around 4 o'clock, I headed to the Jogyesa Temple for the Lotus Lantern Festival. One of the biggest festivals in Korea it is held to celebrate Buddha's Birthday, commonly known in Korea as 'Chopail', which falls on May 15.Built in 1938, Jogyesa is the largest temple in Seoul and is home to the largest Buddhist sect in Korea. It is here that the main event stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1116228341324638382005-05-11T07:24:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:36.112ZKTXstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1115731528681433882005-05-10T13:24:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:50:42.951ZPungnammun Gate(Jeonju)When travelling things don't always go according to plan. Sometimes coaches break down, guesthouses are booked up, the guidebook is out of date or it just rains constantly. This weekend was one of those times.On Saturday I decided to go to the Jeong-eup bullfighting festival, a tradition that goes back in Korean culture over a thousand years. Different to Spanish stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1116509734444919692005-05-06T13:30:00.004Z2012-01-22T14:32:54.283ZHere's a short film I made of the rice cake festival I went to in Gyeongju a few weeks back.stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114953245687049592005-05-05T13:13:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:02.315ZJongmyo Royal Ancestral RiteOn the first Sunday of May every year, the Jongmyo Daeje, or Royal Ancestral Rite, takes place at the Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul. It is here that the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens are enshrined.Throughout the Joseon Dynasty(1392-1910) the rites featured elaborate music and dance with the intention of appeasing the souls of deceased rulers, so as to bring stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114953214836249502005-05-04T13:11:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:09.352ZAdmiral Yi Sun-shin FestivalToday I went to Asan, which is just a fifty minute ride by KTX train from Seoul, for a festival celebrating one of Korea's most famous military heroes, Admiral Yi Sun-shin.Yi Sun-shin was born in 1545, in an area of Seoul now known as Inhyneon-dong. In 1552 his father decided to move to the village of Asan and it is here that here spent much of his youth until he stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114134584675000902005-04-28T01:48:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:31.765ZCrabsstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114340423501467412005-04-24T10:24:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:38.250ZDeoksugung Palace(Main Hall)On Sunday, I went to Deoksugung Palace and although not the most important or lavish of the palaces in Seoul, it has been central to many important events throughout Korea's history.Deoksugung was originally the home of King Seonjong's elder brother, Prince Wolsan. After the Japanese invasions of 1592 it became a temporary palace when King Seonjo moved here, as all thestevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114345391035062222005-04-12T12:22:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:42.351ZCherry Blossomstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1114089543175768572005-04-03T12:43:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:47.824ZSansuyuJust an hour away from Seoul by bus is the town of Icheon, which is famous throughout Korea for it's ceramics.Today I went there to visit the Icheon Baeksu Sansuyu Blossom Festival, which is held every spring when the town is blanketed in the yellow blossom. In total there are over 17,000 trees from young saplings to ones that are 500 years old.Icheon became famous for the sansuyu flower stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1113482183749643792005-03-28T12:26:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:52.435ZRice Cake MakingLast weekend, I went to Gyeongju, which is situated in the south eastern part of Korea, for the annual Traditional Drink and Rice Cake Festival.My day started with a visit to the immigration office in Seoul to register for my alien immigration card, which was fortunately a simple process and was not as painful as I was expecting(one of the things about travelling and living in stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1112706319414744882005-03-12T12:39:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:51:58.227ZThe school is very nice and I'm really enjoying the teaching. Everyone here is friendly and helpful and I feel as if I've fitted in straight away.One of the added benefits of teaching children rather than adults in Korea are the hours. Teaching adults you invariably have to start teaching at some horrendous hour such as seven in the morning for a couple of hours and then again in the afternoon orstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1112703578475681672005-03-08T12:05:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:52:04.736ZOriI'm living in a place called Ori, in a city called Bundang which is just outside of Seoul. It's a relatively new place having been largely constructed in the past ten years and a lot of people who live here commute into Seoul. In fact lots of it is still under construction and huge cranes dominate the skyline on it's outer edges.It's a really nice place and the school is only five minutes awaystevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1112008050367997122005-03-06T11:06:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:52:10.578ZDepartureI arrived at Heathrow at six o'clock giving me plenty of time to pick up my ticket and check in. Some people hate airports but I love them. It's the anticipation that I feel when I'm in one. Knowing that I'm going somewhere new but not really quite knowing what's going to happen or what I'm going to experience or see when I arrive at my destination.ArrivalThe flight over wasn't too bad. stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1112007856350215122005-03-03T10:45:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:57:23.136ZWell, it's been a while since my last post but that doesn't mean to say I haven't been busy.I've been been back in Britain the past five months and now I'm all set for my third adventure in Asia. I've got a job in South Korea in one of the satellite cities just outside of Seoul, teaching young learners and kindergarten children. Now I've never taught kindergarten before so the experience should stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1095157860043427422004-09-17T07:24:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:58:34.689ZGoodbyeLast Saturday night, I went out with my friends Mami, Yuki, Keiko, Eri, Shiggy and Kaoru to a restaurant in Shinjuku for a leaving party. I had a great night but it was all a little bit sad having to say goodbye to everyone.In fact the whole week has been somewhat tinged with sadness with having to say goodbye to all my friends and students. I've had a wonderful time in Japan and I'm goingstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1081230328283426182004-09-16T04:47:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:58:40.704ZCranesOrigami is the Japanese art of paper folding. It comes from the Japanese words 'oru', meaning folding, and 'kami', meaning paper.Originally from China where early techniques were developed, it was introduced into Japanese culture in the early seventh century by Buddhist monks.At first origami was something that only the rich or powerful could do, due to the expense of paper. New production stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1095157833762196442004-09-14T10:29:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:58:46.964ZNo Sex StrikeI've seen many strange things in Shibuya and on my final weekend in Japan I saw what is probably one of the strangest. The women in the above photo are all members of the Japanese Raelien Movement, attempting to spread the word of peace in a 'No Sex Strike'.You might remember that the Raeliens received a lot of media coverage last year regarding their attempts at cloning, with their stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1094618091225342532004-09-13T10:33:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:58:53.576ZMeganebashi Bridge(Imperial Palace, Tokyo)stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1094548470151890012004-09-11T07:24:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:01.535ZTsukiji Fish MarketJapanese people love fish and the place to go and see fish is Tsukiji Fish Market, which is the biggest fish market in the world.It's one of Tokyo's most interesting and unusual tourist attractions, luring people from all over the world and since the action mostly takes place in the early hours of the morning, it's a great destination for the jet lagged weary traveller.In totalstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1080723111525295262004-09-09T04:16:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:09.707ZIt is said that proverbs provide a good insight into how the people of a country think.Many proverbs in Japan are related to agricultural practices and customs because of the ties between Japanese culture and agriculture. Others are from Buddhism and some refer to women and nature.I've included a few examples below, along with the translations and their equivalent in English.Saru mo ki kara stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091010076828830752004-09-07T04:27:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:14.149ZUltramanstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1093938242898242462004-09-03T07:42:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:20.803ZSambaEvery year in August, the streets of Asakusa come alive in the samba festival, so last Saturday I decided to get into the carnival spirit and see what it was all about.Asakusa's Samba Festival first started in 1981, when the mayor of Taito City(one of the central 23 cities of Tokyo) invited the winning group from that year's Rio Carnival in Brazil. Now teams from all over Japan come to stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1094111321339542132004-09-02T07:35:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:26.594ZOn Sunday, I had a great time with my friends Kaoru and Yukiko in Shibuya. First of all we went to an isakaya for a lovely meal(the guy in the picture above is a random chef who wanted to be in the photo) which was followed by karaoke. Highlight of the evening for everyone(or maybe it was just the highlight for me) was my rendition of 'That's Amore' by Dean Martin.The sad thing is that I've got stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1092813981929882992004-08-30T11:10:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:30.577ZSardinesstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1093520376310623672004-08-28T09:05:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:36.810ZNitenmon Gate(Taiyuin-byo)The most important temple in Nikko is Rinno-ji, which was founded by the buddhist monk Shodo Shonin in 766. Housed inside are three huge statues of the thousand-handed kannon, the Amida Buddha and the horse-headed kannon. All three look spectacular and it's well worth a visit inside. Next to Rinno-ji is the Shoyoen(Strolling Garden) a beautiful Japanese garden which was stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1093354858991180302004-08-25T04:40:00.001Z2008-03-01T19:59:52.566ZYomei-mon(Sun Blaze Gate)On Sunday I went to the town of Nikko which is situated a 129km north of Tokyo. Nikko is a World Heritage shrine complex set amid some extremely beautiful scenery with mountains, lakes, waterfalls and hot springs.It is most famous for the Tosho-gu Shrine which is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled for stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091010429566415042004-08-24T08:34:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:08.234ZShinjukustevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1077795507828924132004-08-23T09:08:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:11.046ZLots of celebrities do advertising for products in Japan, in fact just about anybody who is famous has done an advert here . They get paid huge amounts of money knowing that they won't be seen in the west and thefore their image won't be tarnished.You can see examples of celebrities selling their souls to advertising at this website here.My personal favourite is the Sean Connery being very stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1092812109713974462004-08-20T06:51:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:14.887ZSunriseA wise man climbs Fuji once. A fool climbs it twice.-Japanese proverbAt 3776 metres, Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain. Throughout history, it has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and has influenced artists and poets alike. It currently lies dormant and the last eruption was in 1708.The official climbing season is from July 1 to August 27 and during this time the weather is stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1092811165146595322004-08-19T06:27:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:17.677ZOn August the tenth I was thirty and I went out with some friends to a yakitori restaurant, which was then followed by lots of drinks and celebrating in my local bar, the Avion.The festivities continued the next day when I went to a beach near Kamakura with my friends Mark, Miranda, Ippei, Stom, Lei, Hannah and Satoko and I'd like to thank everyone for a wonderful time.There are are a number of stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1092803872594665322004-08-18T04:32:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:22.233ZOn the first day of my holiday I went to Summer Sonic at the Chiba Marine Stadium and the Makuhari Messe Convention Centre in Chiba, near Tokyo. It's a two day music festival that has lots of western artists and a sprinkling of Japanese bands as well.Over the two days there were lots of bands, including the Beastie Boys, Nerd, The Darkness, Avril Lavigne, Jurassic Five and The Hives. There are stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091866671006432212004-08-07T08:16:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:29.143ZAt last I'm on holiday. I'm back on 17th of August, so see you soon.stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091524421030713042004-08-06T09:13:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:33.919ZOn Monday, I went to Matsumoto Castle which is one of the few castles to remain from the fuedal era in its original form. Matsumoto is located in the Nagano prefecture, which is about two and a half hours away from Tokyo on the Azusa limited express service from Shinjuku, so it's quite easy to get to.The castle is also known as Karasu-jo, or Crow Castle because of its black appearance and shape. stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091010023879224232004-08-05T14:19:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:41.408ZSleepystevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1090824041337137692004-07-30T06:40:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:53.180ZHarajukuJust north of Shibuya lies Harajuku, which is one of the centres of youth fashion in Tokyo.Opposite the station is the Takeshita-dori, a four hundred metre long road that is crammed full of shops and boutiques. At weekends it's nearly impossible to move through here because it's packed with so many people. It's along Takeshita-dori that the Japanese youth come to buy their fashion, be it stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1091006609600762462004-07-28T09:23:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:00:56.708ZLanternsstevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1090824019996300342004-07-26T06:39:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:01:04.428ZAs you can probably guess from the picture, Saturday night was very interesting. It began at around eight o'clock when I went out for a meal with my friends Kiyoko and Sachie. The meal was delicious and afterwards they suggested that we go to see a show at a club called Samurai.When I arrived at the club I was a little surprised to say the least as all the dancer's in the club were transvestites.stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-10904810634190382004-07-23T07:21:00.003Z2008-09-09T18:19:12.295ZBaseball is the most popular sport in Japan and on Sunday I went with my friends Mami, Eri and Keiko, to Suidobashi to see the Yomiuri Giants play the Yakult Swallows, at the Tokyo Dome.The Yomiuri Giants are the biggest and most popular team in Japan. They've been going since the league was formed in 1936 and are the oldest professional team in Japan. The Giants have also won more pennants and stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1090395023270295212004-07-21T07:17:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:01:15.574ZNinja RestaurantLast Saturday, I went to the Ninja Restaurant(all the staff are dressed as ninjas - it's great!) in Akasaka with my friend Mami.The front of the restaurant isn't like a normal restaurant, there is just a doorin a black wall and if you were to walk past it, you probably wouldn't even realise that it was there. When you go in you are led by a person dressed as a ninja through a stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1089800133467329302004-07-16T10:15:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:02:47.926ZDisneylandOn Monday, I went to Disneyland with my friend Rie and her sister. Tokyo Disneyland first opened in 1983 and is one of the world's most popular tourist attractions with over 16 million visitors a year. It's always extremely busy and on Japan's recent national holiday called Golden Week, people apparently queued for four hours to see some of the attractions. To cater for the Japanese stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1089695507945023792004-07-14T03:46:00.002Z2008-09-09T18:19:56.770ZOn Sunday, I went to see Japanese punk-pop trio Shonen Knife, at Club Quattro in Shibuya. The band were originally formed in Osaka in December 1981 and have released a total of sixteen albums. Their musical style is often compared to being like a cross between The Ramones and The Beatles, but there is a lot more to them than this.Surprisingly they've experienced greater popularity outside of stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1089420860027336142004-07-07T09:46:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:02:59.094ZTanabata FestivalEvery year on July 7th, the Tanabata Festival(Star Festival) is celebrated in Japan. The festival celebrates an old Chinese legend about two stars called Vega and Altair, which are separated by the Milky Way.The god of the sky Ten-kou had a daughter called Orihime(Vega) who wove clothes for the Gods on a tanahata(it is believed the name of this festival comes from this machine). stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1089100089677239742004-07-06T07:34:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:03.939ZAt the weekend, I managed to catch up with my friends Yuki and Mami in Shinagawa, who I met whilst teaching in England. I had a great day out and it was very interesting to catch up on all the gossip and what a lot of my ex-students are up to now.So basically the day involved lots of afternoon drinking, which turned into lots of evening drinking and was rounded off with lots of late night stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1088496588215266642004-07-02T08:09:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:08.971ZHello KittyThe meaning of the word 'cute' in Japanese is 'kawaii' and on Sunday I went to what can only be described as the Mecca of 'kawaii' in Japan, which is Sanrio Puroland.Sanrio Puroland is a theme park situated just outside of Tokyo that is devoted to all the Sanrio characters, the most famous being of course Hello Kitty. Everywhere you go in Japan you see Hello Kitty. She's on everything.stevenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1088506936339330152004-06-29T11:02:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:13.797ZKendoOn Sunday, I went to the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo to see some kendo and judo classes. You might remember I went there a few months back for the David Bowie concert.Originally built for the 1964 Olympics, it is now a major venue for rock concerts as well as martial arts competitions. It is octagonal in shape and contains three halls, the largest of which holds 14,000 people and is modelled on stevenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1087283666769581362004-06-21T07:03:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:23.858ZRainy Day in ShibuyaWell it's rainy season, so this basically means lots rain for the whole month of June, although so far it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, as the sun has managed to shine on a few occasions. In Shibuya, which is one of the busiest places in Tokyo, it's impossible to move when it's raining because so many people have umbrellas.Apparently, now it has got warmer as stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1087366596709462922004-06-16T06:14:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:29.206ZSanno FestivalOn Sunday, I went to the Sanno Festival at Hie Jinja. This shrine was built in 1478 for the lord of Kawagoe(Ota Dokan), to ensure divine protection for the Edo Castle and is dedicated to the god O-Yamakui(Sanno Gongen). The present buildings are largely a new construction and were rebuilt in 1967 after being destroyed in the Second World War.During the Edo period, this shrine becamestevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1087206659239028732004-06-14T09:39:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:36.123ZToday, I went to the National Noh theatre in Sendagaya. Noh is a traditional form of Japanese theatre that involves a combination of dance, drama, music and poetry.Noh is believed to have developed into i's present form in the 14th century, when the playwrights and actors Kan'ami (1333-1384) and his son Zeami (1363-1443) took elements of traditional Japanese entertainment to create Noh.Plays are stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1086678258008569892004-06-08T06:59:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:40.985ZKabukiYesterday, I went to the Kabuki-za Theatre in Ginza to see Kabuki, which is a traditional form of Japanese theatre from the Edo period(1603-1868). The word 'Kabuki' translates as 'dance, music and craft or skill'.Plays are divided into three categories, which are jidai-mono (historical), sewa-mono (domestic), and shosagoto (dance pieces).Originally both men and women acted in Kabuki. stevenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554346.post-1086174919292848992004-06-02T10:39:00.001Z2008-03-01T20:03:50.172ZPachinkoEverywhere you go in Japan there are pachinko parlours and it's an extremely popular way of gambling. In fact you often see people queing up at ten o'clock in the morning in order to get the best machines.Last weekend I tried pachinko for the first time, which was great fun even though I unfortunately didn't manage to win anything (in order to do so I would probably have to invest a bit stevenoreply@blogger.com0