Out and About

It's been nearly two weeks now since i got back form Korea, time soon goes. Started this post as a draft a while ago as you can see from the post date and have just added this bit on the start of it. Wish i could say that I've too busy to finish it off but the truth is just been a bit lazy, just couldn't seem to get round to finishing it of.

There was one other thing that sort of got me out of the mood to finish it and that was what the hell going on with the economy in the UK, listening to the news here it sound like the whole world is going down the toilet. Talking of the toilet guess I'll paper the walls of it with my HBOS and LloydsTsb share certificates, they sure ain't worth much now.

So back to the post, as i only had one weekend in Songtan thought i would split it up and try to see all the bars i used to go too. After eating at the Sam IL where i had a good meal, the owner and her husband seemed pleased to see me, at least they remembered me it had been a long time after all.

So after eating it was time to see what was going on it town, was still fairly early about 8pm so thought i would go and have a couple of games of pool sort of let the food go down over a slow beer then round the bars and see who i bumped into.

Won't go into the night much as to be honest i can't remember a lot, did go down the Golden gate again to give it another try like i said i would, still not impressed didn't feel the same. Won't say i'll never be going there again but i'm in no rush, the atmosphere has defiantly changed.

Friday night turned out to be a bit of a blur met a few people i used to know had a few chats about old times and what was going, turns out most things a pretty much the same.

Saturday was much the same did the gym thing bit of shopping and food, this time went for something to eat with some people i used to know also met up with someone from my days working at the Brush. He lives over here now with his girlfriend and still works for an English company, not the Brush though. When you work in software you can pretty much be based anywhere i guess, another one of the benefits of the Internet, good for him i say.

Now for a bit of an overview of Songtan which is where I'm staying, it's about 45kms south of Seoul and has a big American air force base right at the top of main street and i mean literally at the top of the street. Check out the photos you come through the main gates and straight into the main road, Sinjang Shoppimg Mall, American or what.
Shopping is good though you can get all sorts of things, some of the most popular are tailor made suits, leather jackets, blankets, bags basically anything you want and a few you don't. A lot of the things like the bags and stuff are fake even though i can't tell the difference. Before you ask how do i know it's fake then, you don't Louie V or Gucci bags for $20 do you, even i know that.

The blankets are good quality as well check out the photo, i know you can't tell from a photo but have bought a couple of them in the past and they are
good. No i didn't buy any with anything on, just got old fashioned plain ones, I'm told the ones with things on go down well though, but it's not for me. I can definitely vouch for the suits, I've still got a couple that are going strong mind you that may be because i don't ware one very often, on the plus side though i can still fit in them.

The photo on the right is of my mates bar, the Bulldog, well it was his he's just sold it, it was the only bar in Songtan owned by an English man, probably the only bar owned by a westerner for a while. Most bars that westerners are involved with seem to be in the names of wife's or girlfriends.

Popeyes next door which is one of my favorite American fast food chains, they sell chicken by the way, it's much nicer than the Colonel's if you ask me, that KFC for those that don't know.

Am struggling to finish this now as it's been so long, will just add a few photos of out and around town and down in the market, a Kimchi stall, a view looking up the main street early evening, not in any particular order.

So anyway that pretty much it for the Korean experience for now, I've got one more day left than I'm catching a flight early Monday morning, means i have to leave the hotel at 5am, two hours by bus to the airport then the 8.55 flight, then to work, oh my God. Will have to come back over here again though in the no to distant future as i really need to get my bank account sorted out, if it wasn't for that probably would not be back for a while. All in all things seem to have changed a bit, the flight to get here is only 2 half hours but with all the traveling to and from the airport and waiting for the plane, took me about 10 hours door to door bit of a drag really.