Tag: Seoul

Free RPG Day 2017

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So, I’m running behind again, but I figured I’d write this up anyway. Free RPG Day 2017 happened a the weekend before last. A few of us made the trip of to Dice Latte in Seoul for the event. I didn’t take any pictures—I’m terrible at taking pictures of anything but the kid, these days—but I can say a good time was had. We arrived late, expecting my friend Justin to run Blades in the Dark rather than joining in on any of the official tables (because none of us had thought to sign up for anything—if I had done, I …

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Itaewon and the Imjin War (異胎圓 or 梨泰院?)

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Update (11 Feb. 2015): Commentary on Facebook has been helpful, especially this comment by Heyjin Jeon: In 1457, King SeJo (Son of King Sejong) said to the Minister of Finance, “Make workhouses for poor people at Bojewon, Hongjewon, Itaewon.”It’s before Imjin War. I think “梨泰院” listens like “梨泰院” and people made new meaning about the name. http://sillok.history.go.kr/url.jsp?id=kga_10305007_002 Here’s the relevant passage from that source: 다만 염려되는 것은 가난한 백성이 병든 사람과 더불어 뒤섞여 거처하기를 싫어해서 이로 인하여 뿔뿔이 도망하여 흩어지는 일이니, 보제원(普濟院)·홍제원(弘濟院)·이태원(梨泰院) 등 세 곳에 별도로 진제장(賑濟場)을 두고 사람을 임명하여 감독 관장(管掌)하게 하고, 또 오부(五部)의 관리로 하여금 날마다 윤번(輪番)으로 왕래하면서 검속(檢束)하고 …

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What do the Starfish Think?

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I haven’t made an update here for the last few weeks, and a lot of long-promised (albeit probably not long-expected) posts languish unfinished. People are probably wondering if I went for a swim in the ocean and didn’t come back. Rest assured: I fear the ocean as much as I ever did, and am safe and (mostly) dry… just busy. That’s the nature of job-hunting, and it’s a bit like writing: lots of sitting at a computer fiddling with details, hoping your intended meaning comes across, sending things off into the void and then waiting for responses… so you send out more things …

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Asia’s First Steampunk Art Exhibition

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This entry is part 62 of 72 in the series SF in South Korea

Well, we’re back from our trip to Korea. Many missions were accomplished, though the visit was too short to see everyone I would have liked to. I focused on seeing the people who probably won’t be in Korea next time I’m there, as those folks are always harder to see again later. While I was in Korea, I was lucky enough to have a chance to see what apparently is the first steampunk art exhibition in Asia.  It’s currently showing at the Seoul Arts Center (서울 예술의전당). (And it runs till the 18th of May, for those of you too bogged down …

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Everest in Yeongdeungpo

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There’s a lot of Nepali/Indian food available in Seoul, but there’s one food I hadn’t been able to find, and had really wanted to find, until last night. I met Miss Jiwaku in Yeongdeungpo but we discovered that Times Square was crammed with people, and every restaurant had a wait of at least 15 tables ahead of us. So we decided to try our luck elsewhere, and by chance Miss Jiwaku remembered an Indian/Nepali restaurant by the station, called Everest. Honestly, I wasn’t blown away by most of the food: the naan was a little dry, the chicken dopiaza was …

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German Traditional Christmas Market

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UPDATE (11 Dec. 2010): It might be fun for people in the neighborhood, but the market was NOT worth a 90 minute subway ride. My friend Mark and I crossed Seoul to get to it, and found (to our immense dismay) a small stand of four tents with overpriced goulash, mulled wine, Krombacher beer, sausages, and such. The facepainting area looked dreary. I did pick up some pretty lace Xmas ornaments for Miss Jiwaku, but overall it was not worth going to this. ORIGINAL POST: I don’t know if it’s going to be any good, but I’m going with a …

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Momo: What Really Fresh-Roasted Coffee Tastes Like

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If you haven’t had it, and want to know the bitterness-free, rich, gorgeous taste of actually fresh-roasted coffee, there are probably a few places in Seoul to pick up some beans roasted recently. The place I know is called Momo, and it’s a coffee shop (not a Himalayan dumpling shop, much as I may long for one of those) near Shindorim station. The beans aren’t cheap, but they’re also good, so I’d say it’s worth it. To get to Momo (or it might be called Momo’s, I can’t quite recall) go out the front of the Technomart building. Turn right …

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The Man to See About a Cat

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A friend of mine in grad school, when excusing himself to go to the men’s room, always said, “I gotta go see a man about a dog.” Well, I have cats, not a dog, but there comes a time when you have to see a man about a cat, too. Especially when it’s a boy cat, and the boy cat hits that age — roughly six months, roughly 4 kilograms in weight, when he starts spraying and longing to venture forth off your 3rd floor balcony and see what the neighborhood she-cats have to offer. (And by the way, when …

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