Zinger Double Down King (KFC)

My unboxing video:



I've been seeing a few videos and comments online about the new burger at KFC. It looked interesting so I had to check it out.

The videos by other expats had mixed reviews.

I know its bad for you. Everyone says it could cause a heart attack! I'm willing to take a risk. Its not something I would eat on a regular basis. I just wanted to try it for "research". I won't get it again because of the expensive price and the artery clogging properties of triple meat.

The Zinger Double Down King came out on October 18, 2014. The slogan is "No bun, all meat". There are 3 pieces of meat on the "burger". There is 2 piece of chicken (the "bun"), a beef patty, and a piece of bacon. They also added some sort of brown and white sauce.

The burger by itself costs 6900 won (about $6.90) and has 750 calories.

I actually liked the burger! It's a very interesting combination. I liked the sauce combination. The chicken was really good. One piece seemed to have some spice on it. There were a few flaws in my opinion. The chicken was way too greasy! The hamburger patty didn't really have a hamburger taste. It reminded me more of a sausage patty.

Some people say it should be shared among 3-4 people, but I ate the whole burger alone. I have a very good appetite. I'll admit it. I like to eat.

New Deluxe Shrimp Burger at Mcdonalds

update (Nov 1)-I'm adding my "unboxing" video:


This week I saw an ad for the the new shrimp burger at McDonalds. The ad looked very appetizing so I had to check it out for myself. The burger debuted on Tuesday October 21st.

Today I tried the shrimp burger and it was great!  The burger has pieces of whole shrimp, cheese, lettuce, and thousand island sauce.You really can feel the whole pieces of shrimp in the burger. The cheese is a bit odd, but it didn't make it taste bad. I liked the thousand island sauce. The burger will only be here on limited edition basis unless people like it. I hope they have it for at least a month! The shrimp burger may be my go to burger instead of the big mac. I think the shrimp burger will be slightly more healthy. It has less calories than the big mac.

The shrimp burger costs 5500 won (about $5.50) for a set. You can add on a pink lemonade for 300 won. I also tried the pink lemonade. It tastes weird to me, kinda like carbonated water with some kind of syrup. I wouldn't order it again.


Here are some pictures:

Songjeong Station (Seoul Metro Line 5)

This is Songjeong station on the Seoul Metro Line 5. This video was recorded on Sunday October 12, 2014. The subway is not very busy on Sunday afternoons. I go to this station every Sunday.

Toilet Museum (Suwon, South Korea)

Another adventure for me.  I have many adventures! I had some difficulty getting there. I read a blog that said to go to Suwon station and take exit 2. So I did that. Exit 2 leads to a parking deck. So I went back into the station and took another exit and went to look for a bus I could take. I went to a bus stop, but I couldn't find the bus I needed. So I went back into the station. Went back out exit 2. Turned around and went out exit 3. Ended up in an apartment community so I walked around. Found another bus stop, but there were no buses I could take for my destination. I kept looking at an app on my phone. Using data on the phone really drains the battery. I'd walk in one direction and then turn around. Stand at the bus stop on one side of the road. Walk to the other side of the road after the bus I need isn't coming. Then walk back to the other side of the street. It was a lot of waiting and walking. I finally got on the bus I needed, but it went one stop and everyone got off. So I waited for the next one and finally made it to the stop I needed. Then I followed the app that took me to the wrong place. Turned around and used google maps. I finally made it to my destination. By the time I got there I was down to less than 10% on my phone. Going through the museum is pretty quick on the inside and outside. You don't need to devote much time to be able to see everything. When it was time to go I couldn't find the bus I needed. So I just got on a bus that I thought was going to the subway station, but after a while I realized I was going in the wrong direction. At this point I just decided to take a taxi!


Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6068917755377019313

Sim Jae-duck was once the mayor of Suwon. He was born in his grandmother's toilet.  His nickname was "Mr. Toilet". Toilets were his passion. He even built his house in the shape of a toilet.The house was completed in 2007. After he died in 2009, his family donated the house to the town of Suwon. The house was turned into a museum where patrons can learn about the history of toilets in Korea.

The house is named  Haewoojae. The name is derived from the word Haewooso. Haewooso is the name for a toilet in a buddhist temple. Haewooso means a room where you can relieve your worries.

Inside you can see the evolution of toilets in Korea and read about Sim Jae-duck. Outside you can see a 'toilet theme park' showing some of the toilets from the past.

Before toilet paper they used a rope to wipe

Jeju black pigs ate poop

a urinal for the males

Hours:
March-October 10:00-18:00
November-February 10:00-17:00

Closed:
Monday (if Monday is a holiday, closed on next day)
January 1st, Lunar New Year, Chuseok

Admission: Free

How to Get There: 
Once you are in Suwon you can take:
Express City Bus: 1009, 7790, 7800, 7900
Intra-City Bus: 5, 36, 63, 64, 65, 92, 98, 99, 310, 400-1, 990
Get off at Dongwon High School (Imok Underpass Stop) (There are no English announcements on the bus so remember how many stops you have to take or recognize the name)
The Toilet House is about a 7 minute walk from the bus stop

**Its a little difficult-I'd recommend taking a taxi

2014 Seoul International Fireworks Festival

On October 4, 2014 The Seoul International Fireworks Festival was held in Hangang Park right outside Yeouinaru Station. The fireworks were put on by professional teams from United Kingdom, Italy, China, and Korea. There were events during the day, but I only went for the fireworks. The fireworks lasted from 7:30 to 9pm.
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Another adventure! I am very adventurous!

The event was crazy! I should have left my house earlier. I left my subway station at 5:35 and I was suppose to have about a 35 minute journey. I thought I'd be fine to get there at 6pm. (I was wrong!) The fireworks didn't start till 7:30 and I didn't want to sit around with nothing to do. The battery drains too fast on my phone using wifi/4g and I have to save the ipad power to make videos. I need spare batteries and extra devices to keep myself occupied!

My transfer station, Gongdeok, was packed! I had never seen a subway station that packed before! There were tons of people waiting to get on the subway. Every train that came by was packed full. I finally got on after the 3rd train that came by.

When I got to Yeounariu station there were a lot of people going to the park so I just followed the crowd. Along the way there were tons of food vendors, but I didn't want to stop to get anything. Once you got into the park you were basically being pushed along by the crowd! There was no where to sit. People had already claimed almost every piece of available grass (this was about an hour before the fireworks started). It was complete craziness! At first I was standing behind where people were sitting. Then they told us we couldn't stand there so I moved to another spot where some people were standing behind those who were sitting.

When the fireworks started there was someone yelling for everyone to sit down (in Korean, but I understood). We stood up for a while and then all of a sudden everyone started sitting and we were pushed down. I didn't have room to move so I was sitting on my knees. It was so painful. I couldn't watch the show for a little while because my legs were hurting so bad. I couldn't sit down with my legs crossed because I had nowhere to move. Finally after a while some people started getting up and people starting moving around and I had enough room to sit and stretch my legs a little. My legs were numb and it took a while for them to return to normal. Then i sat with my legs crossed and after a while my leg was numb again. I just don't know how people can sit on the floor with their legs crossed for a long time.

I got some good footage once i was able to sit down. I was able to narrow my video down to under 13 minutes. In the video its neat to hear the crowd's reaction to the fireworks.

After the fireworks were over it was complete chaos again. So many people moving at the same time. I walked up to the street level and just stood there for a little while. I probably watched the crowd walking by for 20 minutes or more. The crowd just kept on coming the whole time I was watching. I finally left my spot and walked to the subway station so I'd have time to make it home. There was more chaos in the subway. It was packed again. After I went down it didn't take me long to get on the train.

I had quite an adventure. I had never been to a festival that large in Seoul. This was my first and only chance to see the festival.

My advice for future attendees-get there early to get a good spot to sit. The best viewing area is in front of the 63 building. I was a good distance away, but I still had a good view.

If you like to have personal space then this is definitely not the festival for you! It will be packed everywhere!

Banpo Moonlight Rainbow Fountain

Time Lapse Version:



Banpo Bridge fountain is the longest bridge fountain in the world. The bridge is located on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea.

I finally had a success this time! I actually stayed and watched the show 3 times! On the weekend there are 3 shows at night: 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00. (I think there might be one at 9:30, but there wasn't one last night). Each show lasts about 15 minutes.

I got there around 7:45 and set up my tripod. I thought that the fountain show happened on both sides of the bridge so I was set up on the left side, but it was only on the right side tonight so I had to move. For the first show I was annoyed that people kept coming and standing right in front of my camera. For the 2nd show I moved my camera closer to the edge so no one couldn't stand in front of me. Lots of people were there filming and taking pictures.

I got a lot of footage to make a video. My video will be edited down to less than 6 minutes. I got footage from 3 shows and 2 different angles. I also made a time lapse version. I love the time lapse function on ios8 (the new update for apple products). I have an ipad mini. I think its a great camera. The quality and the sound is nice.



How to get there: Dongjak station (line 4)..exit 1 or 2...follow the walking path for about 20 minutes and you will arrive at the bridge. The bridge is next to 2 buildings on the river that change colors.

Show times:
April-October (Duration: 15min)
* Weekdays: 12:00, 20:00, 21:00
* Weekends: 12:00, 17:00, 19:30 (July & August only), 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30

(**operating hours are subject to change)

Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6065987286127647681

Insadong (Seoul, South Korea)

Insadong is a popular place to visit in Seoul. Its a very traditional area. There are lots of galleries, food vendors, merchants, small shops and restaurants in the area.

The Starbucks is the only location in the world where the sign name is not in English.

I visited on Saturday September 20, 2014. Insadong is usually crowded on the weekends and there was some kind of festival going on that day also.

The footage is very shaky. I was trying to navigate through the crowds. I filmed the video on my Nikon D5000.

How to get there: Seoul Subway line 3-Anguk station-exit 6. walk straight for about 100m and then turn left.

Media Facade at Gwanghwamun Gate (Seoul, South Korea)

On September 20-22, 2014 the city of Seoul showed a media facade at Gwanghwamun Gate. There were 3 shows a day from 8-10pm. I recorded the majority of the 8:30pm show. The show lasted approximately 20 minutes.

You are Here Cafe (Hongdae area, Seoul, South Korea)

You are Here Cafe opened on August 9, 2014 . Opening day was crazy! So many people showed up. The cafe opened at 10am. I got there about 5 minutes after 10 and there was already a very long line which kept getting longer and longer! I waited in line for 2 hours to get into the cafe! I really wanted a milkshake, but when I got inside I found out that the blender was broken so there were no more milkshakes. I ordered a lemonade and a dark chocolate macaroon instead.

The line in front of me on opening day..there were a lot of people behind me also

The cafe is ran by Eat Your Kimchi (popular Korean vloggers) and Talk to Me in Korean (they offer free Korean lessons online).

During the Chuseok holiday I decided to go back to the cafe. This time I wanted to try a brownie, but the brownies were sold out. I went with a strawberry milkshake and a dark chocolate macaroon. The milkshake was very good. It was very thick and hard to get through the straw, but it was delicious.

They have coffee, non coffee items, milkshakes, teas, and desserts.

I definitely recommend that you check out this cafe!!

Directions:

Banpo Bridge FAIL #2

In 2009 I was going to go see the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, but I got lost. I ended up going to the wrong bridge and seeing the Banpo Bridge show from a far distance.

So I decided to go again. I actually found it this time and I arrived in time for the show. It took me over an hour to get there. I had a 45 minute subway journey including one transfer and then I had to walk about 30 minutes to get to the bridge. The show was suppose to start at 8pm, but shortly after 8 there was an announcement.

The shows were stopped for the night because of a sudden change in wind direction and speed. The wind was barely blowing. There was a slight breeze.

FAIL #2


I stayed in the area for a little while. There were lots of people around. There were some fireworks shortly after 8pm. I think the fireworks are part of the Hangang night river cruise. There were a few food vendors under the bridge. I tried a Moroccan chicken wrap. I didn't really like it. There were too many onions on it. I still have the onion taste in my mouth 3 hours later. I should have went for the gourmet hamburger. I got a lemonade from another vendor. Some places in Korea make lemonade differently from what I'm used to back in the states. They add other stuff in like sprite or cider..its more like drinking carbonated lemon flavor drink.

Will I give up or go for try #3? Maybe I can fit it in somewhere.

I only have 9 more Saturdays and 2 holidays left. (I go to church on Sundays). I'm trying to pick places I want to go before I leave. (I chose this week to go to Banpo). At least 3 of those Saturdays have been taken up by events that only happen on 1 day. There are shows up to 10pm so I could do it on a day when I have something else planned during the daytime.

Hongdae Mural Street

In Hongdae there are a few alleys where people have painted murals near Hongik University. I read about it when I was researching things to do in Hongdae so I decided to check it out. Its very interesting.

More Pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6056637727518384369

How to get there:

Line 2 at Hongdae station, exit #9. Go inside the street and turn right at the second alley. Walk straight and cross the street. Turn left and walk up the hills until you see the front gate of Hongik University. Cross the street.When you see the university sign go over to the right and there is a small alley. All of the murals are not in the same alley. There are 2-3 alleys that you can go down and see murals.

Royal Ancestral Rite Music at Jongmyo Shrine

On Saturday September 6th I went to Jongmyo Shrine to see the Royal Ancestral Rite Music at Jongmyo Shrine. The entire concert lasted about 45 minutes, but I only included a short clip from each song into my video.




The Royal Ancestral Rite is the ritual for serving former kings of the Joseon Dynasty.

The lyrics of the Royal Ancestral Rite Music, akjang, describes the purpose of rite, how former kings of the Joseon Dynasty devoted themselves to the protection and care of the Korean people, the kings' contribution to the peace of the nation, and the prayer for the prosperity of descendants in detail.

Jongmyo Shrine (Seoul, South Korea)

Jongmyo Shrine is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Jongmyo Shrine is Historic Site Number 125

Jeongjeon (main hall) is National Treasure no 227. It is the location of the memorial tablets of 19 Joseon kings and queens. At 109 meters (357 feet) in length, the building is said be the longest single wooden structure in the world. The picture is below.

Yeongnyeongjeon is Treasure number 821

Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine dedicated to memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Jongmyo Shrine was built by Lee Seong Gye (1335-1408), the first king and founding father of the Joseon Dynasty. It was a primary place of worship for kings throughout the Joseon Dynasty.

There is a 3-forked path of slightly raised roads that starts in front of the main gate. The middle path is in honor of kings of the past. The road leads to Jeongjeon where mortuary tablets of kings are preserved and memorial services are held. Jeongjeon has 19 rooms honoring 19 kings.

The east road is for the living king and the west is for the living prince. These paths connect to a room where the king and prince used to go for ceremonial cleansing and to prepare for memorial services. After they were prepared they moved into Jeonsacheong, a square shaped room with a yard where the food for the service was prepared.

Pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6056273409926863489

How to Get there: Jongno-3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 11
10-min walk from station.
Jongno-3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 3, 5), Exit 8.
10-min walk from station.

Closed on Tuesdays

Visitors may only enter on a guided tour (except Saturdays)

Admission: 1,000 won

Tour Schedule:

[General Tour]
Tour times vary according to interpretation services.
(* Available in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

[Free Tour]
Feb-May, Sep-Oct 09:00-18:00
Jun-Aug 09:00-18:30
Nov-Jan 09:00~17:30
(Free tours available on Saturdays only.)

Tour Length: 1 hour

Bosingak Belfrey (Seoul, South Korea)

Bosingak is a bell pavilion in Seoul. It was originally built in 1396, but it was destroyed in a fire. The bell was rebuilt in 1468 and is now in the national museum. The bell in the belfrey was built in 1985 with funds raised by the public.

The bell was used to keep time during the Joseon Dynasty. There were 4 gates in Seoul where people could go in and out. At 4 a.m. the bell would ring 33 times and the gates would open. At 10 p.m. the bell would ring 28 times and the gates would close.

Bosingak Belfrey is Seoul-si Monument No. 10

I was lucky to get there for the bell ringing ceremony. There is a bell ringing ceremony held daily (except Mondays) at 11:30am. I got there a little bit late, but was able to see the whole ceremony. Clips from the ceremony are in my video.

Pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6056272808699168449

How to Get There: Seoul Metro Line 1-Jonggak Station Exit 4

Admission: Free

Open Year Round

Bell Tolling Ceremony: Daily (except Monday) 11:30 am-12:20 pm

Tapgol Park (Seoul, South Korea)

Tapgol park was the first modern park built in Seoul. It is also known as Pagoda park. The park was once the site of a Buddhist temple called Wongaksa. The 10 story Wongaksa Pagoda (National Treasure #2) is located in the park.

Tapgol Park was the site of the March 1st Movement in 1919. This was the first location where the Proclamation of Independence was read. There are some monuments in the park relating to that event. You can also read the Proclamation of Independence.

Tapgol Park is Historical site No.354.

Palgakjeong Pavilion: Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No.73

Palgakjeon Pavilion

Wongaksa Pagoda (National Treasure #2)

More Pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6056272451615326097

How to get there: Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 1

Open year round

Admission: Free

Hours: 6am-8pm

Jongno Tower (Seoul, South Korea)

This is just a short video. This is an office building in Seoul with an interesting design. The building has 33 stories. T he top floor is a restaurant called Top Cloud. The restaurant has a great view of Seoul. The restaurant is pretty expensive. I've never eaten there, but I took photos from the bathroom a few years ago.

The tower is located right outside of Jonggak subway station (Line 1)

Korean Baseball Game

On Saturday August 23, 2014 I went to a Korean baseball game. The Doosan Bears (home team) were playing the NC Dinos at Jamsil Sports Complex in Seoul. The game started at 6pm and wasn't over till around 10:15. I like baseball, but 4 hours is too long!! This was my 2nd Korean baseball game.

I don't know the guy's name that sang at the beginning of the video. He is a popular singer in Korea. 2 girls from Kpop group 'Girl's Day' threw the first pitch. One girl threw and the other attempted to hit the ball.


Korean baseball games are a lot of fun. There are tons of food choices, but you can bring in your own drinks and snacks. I had a chicken sandwich from KFC and my friend brought a snack for me. I went with one of my students, her coworker and her coworkers 2 kids. We sat on the home team side in the infield near 1st base.

I really like how the crowd gets into the game. They are constantly cheering.

The NC Dinos won 9-7. The Bears were ahead by a few points for most of the game, but the Dinos came from behind and won the game. 5 of their runs were scored in one inning.

I wish I could go to more baseball games, but the season is over soon and there aren't any games that fit into my schedule.



**warning the video might be loud so you may need to turn down the sound. The crowd was loud.

63 Wax Museum

I went to the 63 Building because I got a good deal through the Seoul Pass app. I could see 3 attractions (Wax Museum, Sky Art, and Sea World) for 23,000 won ($23). This was a 48% discount from what you would pay to see each individually)

The wax figures were made by a Japanese artist. There are figures of actors, presidents, sports stars, and other famous figures in history.

Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6044411169516394673
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Directions: Yeouinaru Station (Subway line 5 purple) Exit 4. Walk out of the exit and turn around. Turn left at the stoplight and walk on the left hand side. Walk about 80m. There will be a free shuttle bus that will take you to the 63 Building.( you can also ride the shuttle bus back to where you got on) The 63 building is a tall gold building. When you enter the building go to B1 to get your ticket. The Wax Museum is on B3. There is a staircase that leads down to the wax museum from B1.

Hours: 10:00-10:00

Price: 14,000 won ($14) adults, 13,000 won (youth, children, seniors)

63 Sky Art

I went to the 63 Building because I got a good deal through the Seoul Pass app. I could see 3 attractions (Wax Museum, Sky Art, and Sea World) for 23,000 won ($23). This was a 48% discount from what you would pay to see each individually)

Sky art is the highest art gallery. Its located on the 60th floor of the 63 Building. I didn't really go to see the art. I went to see the view of the city. I love going to tall buildings and looking out over the city.

You aren't suppose to take photos of the artwork. Someone stopped me when I was halfway through the museum.

The art exhibitions change from time to time during the year. There was a print making exhibition going on when I went.
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Directions: Yeouinaru Station (Subway line 5 purple) Exit 4. Walk out of the exit and turn around. Turn left at the stoplight and walk on the left hand side. Walk about 80m. There will be a free shuttle bus that will take you to the 63 Building.( you can also ride the shuttle bus back to where you got on) The 63 building is a tall gold building. When you enter the building go to B1 and get your ticket. Then go to the sky art entrance and ride the elevator to the 60th floor.

Price: 12,000 won ($12) (adults), 11,000 won (seniors, children, youth)

Hours: 10:00-10:00

Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/106518880659515557565/albums/6044412819161006385

63 Sea World

I decided to the 63 Building because I found a good deal on the Seoul Pass app. For 23,000 won ($23) you could see Sea World, Sky Art, and the Wax Museum. The app said it was a 48% discount. If you paid for each one individually you would pay 45,000 won ($45).

(In the Seoul Pass app its listed as the 63City Big3 package under amusement parks)

63 Sea World is located on B1 of the 63 Building in Seoul. It opened in 1985 and was the first public aquarium in South Korea. They have over 400 species and 20,000 marine creatures. They have various shows throughout the day. I watched the seal show.
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Directions: Yeouinaru Station (Subway line 5 purple) Exit 4. Walk out of exit 4 and turn around. There will be a stoplight. Turn left at the stoplight and walk down the left side of the street. Walk about 80m. There will be a free shuttle bus that will take you to the 63 building. The 63 building is a tall gold building. Sea World is on B1. The shuttle bus will also take you back to the location where you got on.

Price: 19,000 won ($19 adults), 16,000 won (children 4+, youth, seniors)

(I used the Seoul Pass app and paid 23,000 won to see 3 attractions)

Hours: 10:00-10:00

Website: https://www.63.co.kr/home/63CITY/eng/seaworld/intro.do

Show Schedule: https://www.63.co.kr/home/63CITY/eng/info/timetable.do?gb=A&lang=en

Ticket info: https://www.63.co.kr/home/63CITY/eng/info/ticket