Aussie In Seoul

I forgot about Il DIVO

2007-02-14T21:50:00.000+09:00

You know I was supposed to drop a quick blog about the IL DIVO concert we went to a few weeks ago. They were staying in the hotel, and last minute we got hooked up with two tickets. So we went with a colleague and his wife and ended up 6 rows from the stage!

I was really impressed. These guys could sing. I could also see why the ladies were all drooling. They played to the crowd very well, because in Korea it is not that easy, and by the end of the show all the ladies in the concert hall were stampeding the stage like dogs on heat!

I would see them again for sure and even downloaded a few of their songs from I-Tunes to the faithful I-POD.

Get me out of Seoul

2007-02-14T21:43:00.000+09:00

To say the least, the last few weeks have been crazy. Hotel full, too many conferences, lots of the corporate bosses in, projects to finish, and the weather sucks!

But heck, today is Valentine's Day, and my wonerderful wife's B'day, so we had a lovely dinner in the Table 34 restaurant in the hotel.

Friday evening off to Philippines for a week or so to feel what warm weather is like, visit family, relax, and a few other things.

Sorry, for a lack of blogs! Aloha

Eric Clapton Concert

2007-01-27T11:36:00.000+09:00

We had Eric Clapton in the hotel this week and I was lucky enough to get a few tickets and go to his concert. Unfortunantly Clariza was feeling sick, so she did not go, but was happy for me to go anyway with my brother -in-law, who I think was pretty happy Clariza pulled out. But in any case, I had tickets to another concert in Seoul as there was another famous band in the hotel, and I knew even if Clariza was sick she would go to this one!!! Your wondering who it is right.... stay tuned..

Anyway, we were 10 minutes late to the concert thanks to the wonderful traffic of Seoul, and a no brain taxi driver. Oh what to do!

Borrowd the photo above from a fan website. I hope they dont mind. Not trying to make money!

The concert was good, but not amazing. They played a of of "their" songs, and not so much crowd pleaser songs. Was a shame. He never even did Tears in Heaven. But what I can say was the musicians, including himself on guitar was excellent, and the talent on the stage was immense.

Anyway, very happy to add Eric Clapton to the list of people I have seen live. Would I go and see him again??? No, I dont think so.

Life

2007-01-24T21:09:00.000+09:00

You may not realize it, but this is 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.And always remember....when life hands you Lemons,

Ask for tequila and salt and call me over!

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T18:59:00.001+09:00

Its a New Year Ladies & Gentlman and I wish everyone a great year this now 2007!

It is the Year of the Golden Pig!

For Clariza and I 2007 is going to be a huge year. Why?? ............ stay tuned

I am on the Korean News!

2006-12-29T22:30:00.000+09:00

Hi there. Well I was on the news today for work, talking about our hotels tree of hope, our charitable contribution to the community. So as I am clueless on how to download the video exactly I have created the link through the title in blue above. Once you get to the link page, you will see information exactly as written below. Make sure you choose the right date (Dec 29) and the time 12:00 or 22:00

Dec 29 2006 12:00 Arirang News low high

Click on the high for the Dec 29 12oo news and will take you to the broadcast. My news section is exactly 4 minutes in and ends after the 6th minute. My conversation is about 20 seconds in length if that and is around the 5min mark approx! Enjoy, and no jokes please!!!

Happy New Year!

Great Paris

2006-12-26T22:37:00.000+09:00

After spending nearly two weeks traveling in Europe it was actually wonderful to get to Paris where we stayed with our great friend Xavier who took such wonderful care of us and showed us around so much. We visited so many places, and discovered areas and small side streets only locals know! I got a little sick unfortunantly in pris which slowed us down somewhat, but it really was such a great place to see.

Again let the pictures to the talking!

Left outside the famous Moulin Rouge! Others are above Paris in a small village that was very artistic with lots of painters and cafe's. I like this sculpute with a man running from the wall!

Church on the hillside in Paris, and a shot in the famous streets of Paris.

The famous Notre Dame! Really was amazing!

The Louvre, looking from outside and in. A place and experience you will never forget. We also got the digital audio to help us understand some of the pieces and it really helps bring together the power of this Museum.

Just three pieces of art that I loved. For those history buffs you may be able to identify the pieces. No painting shots as not allowed to take photos ... and heavy security.

The Eiffel Tower. Great views and lots of fun getting up in the elevator!

Here we are in differant parts of Paris with Xavier.

Viva Le Lyon!

2006-12-26T22:25:00.000+09:00

So the second last leg of our incredible Europe trip brought us to Lyon. Although we only stayed for one day, it really was a great city that was so interesting, and sadly time did not allow us to see everything. But what we did see was great, and maybe oneday we shall return to enjoy even more.

Various shots above around the city and popular historical areas. Love the ruined amphitheatre which was centuries old.

Church on top of the highest point in the city. Looking out over Lyon from the church, and a really nice group of buildings with such vivid colours and fantastic architecture.

Day in Monaco

2006-12-26T22:03:00.000+09:00

What a really beautiful place. Drove around the the Grand Prix circuit, and lost a few dollars in the famous Monte Carlo Casino. Let the photos speak for themselves.

Just in case you didn't believe me! LOL

The small streets in original Monaco town.

Inside one of the historical buildings in Monaco. The locals in this traditional area of Monaco were so friendly.

A few boats docked together. Check out the cars behind them to actually understand the size of these boats! WOW

Ok on top left is the starting line for the GP, middle is the down hill past the Le Meridian hotel and right is going into the big tunnel under the hotel! Familiar??

Left shot above is the straight after the tunnel with all the boats on the left. Middle is the 2nd last big right where last year Shumacker pretended to stall on got penalized. Right photo is last small turn onto the start / finish line!

So there you have the Formula 1 track of Monaco / Monte Carlo!

French Riviera Part 1

2006-12-08T21:26:00.000+09:00

A shot from our speeding train through the Italian countryside on our way to the south of France.

Beautiful train station on the French / Italian Riviera border. It was such a brilliant train ride along this coastal section on the way through Monaco to Cannes.

This picture is taken from the window in our lovely suite in the Cannes Carlton InterContinental Hotel. This hotel is an icon in Cannes, and serves the most rich and famous. We were given a suite upgrade from the boss and had this unforgettable view.

This is a shot looking at our hotel. It is one of the oldest hotels in Cannes and is used every year by all the movie stars for the Cannes Film Festival. I wonder who slept in our room before???

The famous red carpet to the auditorium for the annual Cannes International Film Festival.

The marina in Cannes is full of this multi-million $$$$$ boats! I put in an offer on this one, but was short a few million! Oh well!

Lovely courtyard in a small french riviera hillside town. Views were breathtaking

Left and right are some night shots of the hotel. I know I seem to be fixated on the hotel but the "Carlton" is an icon in Cannes and photgraphed by everyone. And hey, I work for this company!

Here we are relaxing after a great evening in Cannes. Cannes was great, but what for the shots of Monaco! We loved it there.

Rest of Italy Photos

2006-12-08T20:48:00.000+09:00

This is another great shot in the great city of Rome!

This is taken along the waterfront in Naples!

Clariza in the grounds of Pompeii This ancient city was just fantastic and we enjoyed the many hours spent walking through the ruins.

So where do you think we are???? Of course the most romantic city .. Venice!

Thats me playing with the pidgeons in Piazza San Marco! See the Italian mafia coming up on me!

The famous Rialto Bridge in Venice. For the history buffs, it was originally built of wood with the middle section being able to shift so large boats could pass. Then in 1592 it was rebuilt as you see it today.... well almost!

Us on one of those romantic boats cruising the canals of Venice. Thats champagne in those sexy plastic cups!

Another one of the beautiful canal sections in Venice. It is so awesome to get yourself lots in Venice and explore the hundreds of small canals and bridges.

Chocolate Buffet at Grand InterContinental Seoul

2006-12-02T22:32:00.000+09:00

Forgot to add last weekend after a great Vietnamese lunch with the chef and his wife, we all ventured back to the hotel to enjoy the last day of the chocolate buffet! I guess I don't need to say more right. Let the pictures tell a thousand words ... And yes, damm it was good!

The freshest Strawberries and chocolate fountain!

Instead of explaining all three, the middle one is a chocolate moose inside a real egg shell with the yellow is passionfruit sauce! WOW!!!

Chocolate brownies covered in a rich dark chocolate sauce with gold shavings on the top! Mmm

Ohh, just a few more chocolates on the buffet.

Played Golf, Very Cold!

2006-12-02T10:59:00.000+09:00

I guess this photo is a bit of an exaggeration, but yesterday I played golf and it was freeeezing! The temperature when we started was around 1 or 2 degree and by the time the sun started falling on the last holes it was around -2!

I worked out after the first hole that trying to hit with four layers of shifts and jackets is not easy, so the big jacket had to come off. Improved a little, but that is all relative to my game!

It Saturday morning now and weather man says its -4 outside!

I hate the cold!!

About me!

2006-11-28T21:57:00.000+09:00

Have you done this before? How much have you done in your life? If it is in BOLD I did it!

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
07. Walked through Pompeii
06. Held a tarantula
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Naked in a public sauna
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gone without food for 5 days
76. Earned a university degree
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a dog as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Ate Dog meat in Korea
144. Ate the worm from a bottle of tequila
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a Bouncer
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

I saved a man's life

2006-11-27T21:04:00.000+09:00

Yes really! It was all so surreal!

Late last week I went on a trip with our housekeeping team and we ended up after a great day at a large Sauna / Spa House. It is like a gym without the fitness stuff and just lots on sauna's, and spa baths (jacuzzis).

So after an hour into our relaxing time I was walking past this jacuzzi and noticed this old Korean man about 75 half submerged in the water with bubbles coming out of his mouth.. Or nose!? What the f***! I took a double take, then looked at the two old men only two meters away from him who were in the same jacuzzi and kind of looked at them like do you see that guy? Is he relaxing or drowning?? They looked at me, then looked at the submerged guy, then looked at me again and said nothing, just gave me this look like oh yeah maybe something is wrong.

So I lean down into the jacuzzi, grab the lifeless man, and with the help of these other two guys pulled his naked body out of the jacuzzi. We placed him on his back, he was convulsing, so I pulled him onto his side and gave him a few slaps on his back and a few litres of water and vomit came out of his nose and mouth. Ok .. he is breathing I thought! Thank god, cause his faced had puke all over it and mouth top mouth was not going to be fun! I checked his pulse and it was high, but he was still unconscious.

By then there was about 20 people standing over this guy and me.... all naked, and just watching. Thankfully a few people had figured out it was a good idea to call an ambulance. So for the next 15 minutes I barked orders at a few guys like get me some cold towels as he was very hot and kept checking his pulse.

Finally the ambulance arrived, and the ambulance guys took him away on a stretcher. I stood up, and I was shaking and dry reaching because of the vomit everywhere. I took a shower, changed, sat in a massage chair and relaxed. A few old men came over and thanked me and that was it. We all got back in our bus, nothing more was said, and I still have no idea even today if the guy was ok.

Surreal right!

Vacation Florence Part 1

2006-11-04T10:44:00.000+09:00

So after a few days in Rome we did a very long day trip to Florence. We wished we could have actually stayed in the city, but the schedule did not allow time for that. In any case below is quiet a few shots of the city.

Florence or "Firenze" is really a picturesque city. The photo taken above we on a small hill above the city looking onto the River Arno and the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. This bridge was built a few times, but last built in 1345.

Looking from the same hill top onto the famous Duomo Battistero. Sadly a bit of construction around it, but still almighty in its presence.

One of the many lovely piazzas around Florence. The building had so much character and colours.

Not sure of the name of these buildings but just thought it was a nice shot.

This is the Santa Croce, a great Gothic Church in the middle of Florence. Construction begun in the mid-1200's but was not consecrated until 1443. What happened in between??

Vacation Rome Part 2

2006-10-29T11:56:00.000+09:00

Ok, so here are some more photos from Rome. What a great place. Certainly our favourite city on the trip.

This photo was actually taken on our first night in Rome. We had a few sandwiches and water under the beautiful fountains in Piazza Navona. For those history buffs all the beautiful fountains were made by the famous Bernini.

Don't know the name of this building, but it sat at the end of a small little street and just had this mystical look to it.

Very nice building, but no idea of the name. Let me know if you know the name!

This is a photo of the Piazza de Popolo and the church in its same name. It is very famous as three of the main streets in the older district meet at this piazza. The church had these amazing marble skeletons which you can see below. Never saw anything like them anywhere else in our travels.I really like these sculptures. I am not into skulls & bones, but it does look amazing to see it.

You see these type of things in the churches and this is then why you need more time in this great city to really understand the meanings.

Finally after so so much walking we got to have a nice Italian lunch in an outdoor cafe near the Vatican. Got some other tourists to take this shot.

After standing in a one kilometre long line to get into the Vatican we finally made it to the entrance. We did not know what to full expect, but we left really touched by the experience. Not so much as a religious experience, but to be immersed in such preserved history. It was in some places almost overwhelming the art and history that surrounded us.

Looking out onto some of the many gardens spread throughout the Vatican City.

The three photos above we taken through the various gardens of the Vatican. The small head water fountain was really quiet interesting.

This hall was one of the highlights of not only the Vatican but all of Europe. I sadly do not know the name, though once I know I will add it. I believe this hall must have stretched for no less than 750 metres. It was covered from floor to ceiling with all types of art, from path names, sculptures, tapestry's, and more. The details we amazing, and the time we spent paid no justice at all to the art in this hall. I honestly felt guilty for the pace we set moving through the room. But time was not on our side, and I guess a future trip will be needed.

It is not the clearest of shots as using a flash is absolutely prohibited, as is talking! This is the most famous Sistine Chapel. To pretend to be a historian for a moment, let me give some information; When used in an official capacity it is where the cardinals meet to elect a new Pope. They do this under the great frescoes created by Michelangelo. The ceiling was done entirely by Michelangelo and no one else. It took him four years from 1508 to 1512. It is so complex the story, and intriguing. It tells stories from the creation of man to the redemption of mankind. Pictures of planets, and the sun. Pictures of land and sea, and the beginning of animals. Then in 1536 he was asked again to paint the back wall which is above. This creation took him 5 years and is the most famous of Michelangelo's works; The Last judgment. There are a total of 391 figures in this painting with Christ the Judge as the centre figure. The other side wall frescoes were done by several artists and were actually begun around 1481.

So my final words on the Sistine Chapel was WOW. I mean you were surrounded by so much art that I could not really take control of my thoughts and visual senses. When you look through this room you are almost confused, not sure what to look at, and not sure how to work your eyes through the room. It does not help that the room is crowded with so many other eager tourists trying to do the same as me. Anyway, an experience not to forget.

So here is the great St. Peter's Basilica. It is the greatest church for the Christian Faith and originated in 324 as a shrine for the mortal remains of St. Peter. The building itself that we look at today took hundreds of years to complete.

Several shots taken inside the Basilica. Left is St. Peters eternal tomb. Other two shots inside the Basilica. The shots though do not pay justice to the size of the church. It really was so big.

Here we are finally standing outside the St. Peters Basilica in St. Peters square, also known as Piazza San Pietro.

Piazza San Pietro almost over powers the Basilica but actually adds to the visual power of this area. It was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the mid 17th century. There are 284 columns arranged in four rows and surmounted by 140 great statues of saints and martyrs. There are two amazing fountains on either side as you can see, and the Egyptian obelisk in the centre which was brought to Rome from Heliopolis in 1586.

Vacation Rome Part 1

2006-10-27T21:38:00.000+09:00

Ok, so this is how I am going to lay out our vacation. I am going to do it by city's or places we went to. Trying to put it into a date order is going to be a pain in the ass.

I will also shut up. I have worked out very quickly that the less I say, the longer I have your attention. Photos will entertain you, and I will try to give some commentary. Cant promise to do this in a day, or even a week, but do promise to put a heap of photos on the blog.

FINALLY ......... before I shut up, I just have to say that we had the most fantastic, amazing, awesome vacation. It was too short, never enough time to see everything, and always not enough time with great friends through the travels. Not sure when we will be back on Europe, but all I can say is we really had a great experience and are better persons for it.

This is the Arch of Constantine just outside the Roman Colosseum. Known as a triumphal arch, built in 315AD to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius.

The Grand Roman Colesseum, or also know as the Flavian Amphitheater is an amazing site in Rome and a cant miss place to see. First construction began in 72AD and was completed 8 years later. In its prime it could hold 75,000 people to witness some of the most gruesome and bloody events known n history that don't relate to war. What I learnt there was the actual fighting surface was made of wood, and covered by sand. This was to allow all the blood to flow easily of the grounds, and allow better access into the arena through trap-doors in the ground.

that's us inside the colosseum, enjoying this great monument.

Another shot inside the colosseum. You can see it was a beautiful day in Rome.

This is the Arch of Titus at the entrance of the The Roman Forum on the Colosseum end of the Forum. Also built in the last 1st century AD to mark another Roman victory.

Not the best shot in the world, but this is looking into the Roman Forum. You could spend a lot of time walking through this area trying to take in all the history that surrounded you.

This is Clariza above hanging out on the other side of the Roman Forum.

This is the great Trevi fountain found in the Piazza di Trevi. It was built originally in 19BC and then in the 1400's the water basin was built to hold the water that came from the Roman aqueduct which flowed below it.

Us sitting below the Trevi Fountain. I guess it is a Roman con, but they say you must throw a coin into the fountain over your shoulder to make a wish come true. Although we wanted to stay there all day and throw a hundred coins, we kept to one, and hope the best dream comes true!

Gelatos and ice-creams are to die for in Italy, so we made sure we ate our fair share. Love this photo of Clariza loving that ice-cream. I want my lemon gelato!!

Where in Paris!

2006-10-05T17:11:00.000+09:00

This has to be a quick update as not enough time. We are having a fantastic trip but sadly it is coming to an end. Hard to say what is the best, but for sure Rome is a city that to never forget. Anyway two more days in Paris, then a quick two days in Dubai, then back to Korea.

When I return I will update with stories and photos.

Where going on a holiday!

2006-09-19T21:40:00.000+09:00

Finally after watching everyone at work go and come back from their summer holidays it is finally our turn. So 27 hours from now we are boarding our flight for 17 days of fun and adventure. Below are the flags and State we will be visiting! I guess this blog will be updated on our return.

Sunday Afternoon in Seoul

2006-09-17T21:48:00.000+09:00

It has been a relaxing weekend, with Saturday spent either sleeping or relaxing at home. Had a big night out on Friday, so needed to catch up with rest on Saturday.

Today, Sunday, we went to the hotel for breakfast at Grand Cafe. Always a sensational breakfast. We bumped into some friends and mentioned we were going to shop in the afternoon around Dongdaemun. They also wanted to shop, so we met around 2pm and headed to Dongdaemun. It was super busy, of course we did a heap of walking, and a little bit of shopping!!!
Finished up with a lovely dinner in our favourite dim sum restaurant Din Tai Fung in Myeong-Dong.

anyway below are some photos of the day with our great new camera.

Shot of the Cheonggyecheon Stream which only re-opened earlier this year.

Another shot of the stream. If you have the time, a great place to walk.

Chef and the ladies posing for the camera. See the camera in chefs hand ... Its the same as mine. We bought it within days of eachother.

Shot above is the East Gate of Seoul in Dongdaemun.

Here we are walking through the streets of Myeong-Dong. Fantastic area for shopping, and eating. In the centre of Myeongdong there is a new Krispe Kreme! You know where we had our dessert tonight!

We did not have our dessert here, but this ice cream shop was awesome. Check out the cone display! Next time!

New Camera!

2006-09-16T18:09:00.000+09:00

In preperation for the Europe trip which is only 4 days away we just bought a new camera. After doing a little research we came up with this very inexpensive beauty! We got it online through a Korean website, and it came with a heap of extras. So far it looks good, but the test will be in our travels of Europe.

Thanks letsgodigital for the photos! What we love the most about the camera is the huge display. So sexy!!!!

Steve Irwin "we will miss you"

2006-09-06T19:17:00.000+09:00

I am really not sure what I want to put on paper about how I feel about the sudden death of Steve Irwin. I personally really liked the guy. A modern day "Crocodile Dundee" who was real, honest, funny, and as us aussies say, a bloody good bloke. He was the real deal. He was away from the camera the same as he was in front of the camera. Always loving life, loving his family, friends, and most of all the wild animals of this world.

A freak accident has taken his life, and I feel the world will miss this mate. He was in his prime, and was a great ambassador for our country, and the guy that most applauded for his honesty and sincerity in regards to conservation and wildlife. It is nice to see how many global tributes he has recieved, and I hope that his legacy lives on. Rest in peace Steve.

Metallica in Korea

2006-08-27T12:12:00.000+09:00

Ok, I will say it from the start. I was not a huge fan of Metallica, and never have been. After meeting them, watching them, and learning about them a bit more .... has it changed? Yes! Now I have a greater respect for the group, their professionalism, and some of their music which I actually always liked, but really never knew it was Metallica.

So let me start from the beginning, and hope I do not get in trouble for metioning what I say!! Two weeks before their arrival in Korea I got an email saying they were going to stay with us. Cool, this should be fun. As a hotelier I of course start thinking of all the logistics, potential problems, etc.. To cut a long long story short a few days before their arrival I met with the tour manager, and band manager who went through all the requirements, and that was that. Very easy, and really really nice people.

Day of arrival for the group, all went very well. The group arrived from Japan throughout the day and the main band members arrived early evening. I was there to meet them and take care of them. All went well. (Lots happened in between, but best keep that out of the blog. All I can say is that over the next two days I got to talk to the band and they were a really fantastic bunch of guys, so humble, and nice to work with. I really wish I could tell you more!!)

Concert day the tour manager called me and said all is great and if I need tickets for myself and friends just let him know how many. So I rounded up a few of the boys plus a couple of others and had tickets waiting at the door. He also told me he would take extra special care of me!! I wonder what he meant??

We took a taxi to the stadium and found the ticket area. Gave our names and got our tickets. There was an envelope for me also, and to my joy inside were three backstage all access passes! Fantastic!! So we joined the thousands trying to get in, flashed the All Access passes and we were escorted right through.

From then on we enjoyed the concert, the crowd, the heat!!! and of course most of all getting right next to the stage. I have put some photos into the blog, but they really really suck. I have a cheap rubbish camera that let me down on the night. Actually in the spirit of Metallica the shots kind of represent their music. We were so close to the band that at time James Hatfield was standing right above us. For a while we stood between the crowd barrier and the stage. I am sure if this concert was in Europe, US, or even Aussie we could never have gotten this close.

So concert all done, we went home very exhausted, but very happy. Next day I caught up with the group on their departure, thanked them, and in turn they actually thanked me and the staff for a really good stay.

See, there are some benefits for working in this hotel industry!!!

World Basketball Challenge Korea

2006-08-27T11:58:00.000+09:00

We are trying to keep ourselves busy this summer and last week was not exception. After a few days of great dinners with friends we went to watch Team USA vs Lithuania. The teams were staying in our hotels so we were given some tickets to go and watch.

I am no basketball player, but grew to really enjoy the game after my 8 years in Hawaii. Me and the fraternity bros were regular at the UH games and got to watch some sensational games over the years including Hawaii's wins over Indiana and Duke. Good times.

Anyway back to Korea. So we had designated seats but as usual nobody was sitting in their assigned seats so we found the best seats we could which were excellent, and watched the game. It was an easy win for the USA, but most enjoyable was watching these NBA players really turning it on and playing some amazing basketball with of course heaps of slam dunks. Sadly though I am not up on this new generation of NBA players so their names did not mean much to me.

Have attached a few photos of the game. Enjoy.
We stayed on and watched the first half of the Korea and Italy game, but that was also heading for an easy win to Italy. We had to head to Iteawon for a Greek dinner at a place called Santorini. It was excellent by the way.

Football Game FC Seoul vs FC Tokyo

2006-08-06T12:33:00.000+09:00

Yesterday we decided to go to the FC Seoul vs FC Tokyo Football (soccer) Game at the World Cup Stadium. We went with some colleagues from work, family, and some colleagues who are working for our company in China.

Thankfully, I was able to convince our hotel to give us a bus and driver for all of us to get there, so at 5pm we left the hotel in the convenience of an Air Conditioned bus which is much needed with the 34degrees weather and high humidity at the moment.

After the regular Seoul traffic we got there in 1 hour and to our complete surprise the banquet staff from the hotel had organized a private box for us!! (Our hotel also caters for all the VIP boxes at the FC Seoul Games at World Cup Stadium) So we went through the VIP section, up the elevators and placed in our own Air Conditioned suite with a lovely table, bathroom, and enough food and drinks for about 30 people. To top it off you can sit outside the room in about 20 chairs to watch the game even better.

As you can imagine we had a wonderful time enjoying the game, the private box, and the food! Before I forget FC Seoul Won 3-0!

We got back about 945pm after a very enjoyable evening.

Have attached some photos of the night. One thing to note is the wild Korean fans! They are fantastic. I promise for the full 90 minutes the main FC Seoul fan section never stopped with singing, dancing, and celebrating. A lot of fun.

Read this

2006-08-04T20:41:00.000+09:00

Found on the web:

cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgniegTHE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNIDAoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is tahtthe frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotlmses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, butthe wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?The wierd thing is that I actually scanned the paragraph before I realized that every word was misspelled.

Phillipines Trip last month

2006-07-08T22:23:00.000+09:00

Okay okay if anyone is reading the blog, then I am sorry it has taken so long to write. I have kind of hit a cross road on the blog, deciding weather to write or not. You know it is opening ourselves to the world, to strangers, as well as friends and family, and some of the emails I get can piss me off sometimes! Anyway, ce la vie??!! So it is now July, but actually we had a wonderful trip to the Philippines in early June for 10 days. Instead of writing too much, I will let most of the pictures tell the story with a bit of commentary along the way.
Above is Clariza relaxing by the wonderful pool at the Shangril-la Mactan Cebu Philippines. It is a lovely resort, with the only negative being it was filled with Koreans, when we were trying to get away from Korea! (Sorry Korean readers, but we wanted to get away) We stayed at the resort for three nights, four days and really had a good time, especially one night at our friends house for a lovely dinner. He is the EAM of the hotel (Thanks mate!) And he was also had us upgraded to an ocean view room with a few chilled beers on arrival!
Me posing at the pool area. "The incredible bulk" Haha Spent 8 hours at the pool on the first full day. Now that is relaxing!
Above is the view of the hotels beach. I swam there once, and it was full of big fish, with crystal clear water.
Great view from our room. We sat on the balcony when we first arrived and drank a few beers.
Me trying to take a professional shot! Lots of these small ponds around the hotel covered in the most colourful flowers.
A view from the room looking out to the ocean
Me in the pool as usual. Was practicing my basketball in the water as you can see!
Above another pro shot of one of the many features around the hotel. What a great property.
After swimming we raced down to the water before sunset and had a Korean couple take a photo for us. It was a lovely sunset.
Ok, so after Cebu we headed back to Manila and attended our great friends wedding in Pampanga region. It was so hectic, but we had such a wonderful time with them. Above is a shot of the bride and the bridesmaids. Clariza was a bridesmaid and I was a groomsman.
Clariza with the bride and groom. We are all friends from Dubai. THe bride lived with Clariza for a few years, and best friends with the groom. We all hung out a lot in Dubai, and loved our Fridays eating and eating!
Me with the bride and groom. Like me in the barong! I am a true kabayan! By the way does anyone that knows me notice something differant about me in the shot?.................................................. I am not wearing glasses!! Yes, two days before the wedding I had LASIK surgery done on the eyes and now perfect vision! So amazing, and the most wonderful feeling. 24 hours after the surgery I did the eye test. Each eye done seperately was perfect 20/20 and when done together was 20/15! Better than perfect.
After the wedding we spent a few days in Batangas with the family, then back to Manila where I had to work for two days but also got to spend some time with our Ninang Leslie and Ninong Brian. They took us to the American Memorial near Makati where the photos were taken. It is quiet a somber place, but is manicured to perfection and the attention to detail is amazing. Through the memorial besides the crosses throughout the cemetary the large memorial also has the names of the American and Filipinos who died representing the US.
The crosses are set up perfectly. And went for kilometres.
THis last shot is of our beautiful niece Crystal. She is just over two in this photo. She will be so beautiful when she gets older.

Aussie Aussie Aussie !!!

2006-06-23T22:45:00.000+09:00

Life in Korea has taken a back seat to all the World Cup festivities these days. I work in a hotel that has the following nationalities -

Korean 1792 staff, Geman 1 staff, French 1 staff, British 2 staff, Australians 4 staff.

So as it happened everyone in the hotels has a team represented in the world cup! Of course plenty of excitement around the hotel, lots of joking, and even more World Cup discussion than work discussion!

Okay, so lets rewind with a few updates on Aussies -

1 - Jeff Ogilvy won the US Open Golf over the past weekend! Great stuff
2 - Australia kick Englands ass again in the Rugby.
3 - Leyton Hewitt won Queens Tennis Tournament
4 - Australia 2 drew with Croatia 2! Giving the aussies a place in history to make the sweet sixteen! Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi !!!!

The following is an article written by a French reporter, Pierre Littbarski in Germany. I took it from smh online, and I thin kit is a great article written by a non-aussie -

AUSTRALIA have made significant leaps forward at the World Cup, with many of the world's best judges believing the adaptable, high-energy style of football they play is emerging as a leading trend in the game.

While some have tried to portray the Australians as an over-physical side, the reality is they have played some very good football and have impressed everyone in Germany.

The performances against Japan and especially Brazil have been very impressive. They are tactically and technically very good and have been playing without fear.

Against Brazil they went onto the field thinking they could win. A lot of teams don't do that. Sure, Brazil won the match - but with a bit of luck, Australia could have drawn or even won the game.

They are not intimidated by anyone, have an attitude that is typically Australian and play with a smile on their face - but a sting in their boots. It is an ideal mix. But Australia's game is not just based on attitude. They have also played some very good football. It has surprised many people who thought the old Australian style of chasing and defending would still be alive.

Instead, they have been very positive in their play and win, lose or draw against Croatia, they have made many friends and new admirers in high places.

Great photo of Harry Kewell, courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald as the other one on this post, and the last post.

Aussie victory in World Cup

2006-06-17T17:20:00.000+09:00

Australia 3 Japan 1

Let me start by saying! You bloody rippa!
Ok, so the bad thing was I did not get to see the game. Can you believe I was actually working at midnight in Manila! Oh well. When I got back to the hotel, I caught the highlights and went to sleep very satisfied.

Here is comments and photos of the game -

Let us summarize the last 10 minutes of the game! Unbelievable -

84mins GOAL! Japan scrambled the free-kick away for a long throw-in but Kawaguchi flaps at it and Cahill is there to pounce and score Australia's first ever World Cup goal.

86mins Right down at the other end Japan look dangerous as Cahill definitely commits a foul in the box but he gets away with it as the ref awards a corner rather than the penalty it should have been.

88mins Fukunishi has the chance to end it as the defence opens up for him but he cracks his shot wide.

89mins GOAL! Unbelievable hit from Cahill. What a five minutes he has had. This time, he picks the ball up on the edge of the D and smacks his shot in off the post. It's safe to say he is better in the opposition's half.

90mins +1 Moniwa is pulled off to allow Masashi Oguro, the Japan forward, on.

90mins +2 GOAL! Aloisi makes sure of the three points. Cahill was involved again, feeding him 20 yards out and the big man just ran and ran before slotting into the bottom corner.

FULL-TIME. That's it, Australia somehow snatched victory in the final moments of the game. Tim Cahill completely turned the game on its head after coming on from the bench. He scored two, set up another one and could have conceded a penalty. It's Australia's first ever World Cup win. Japan do not deserve to lose by such a scoreline but they paid for not taking their chances.

Aussie victory in Rugby

2006-06-17T17:16:00.000+09:00

Wallabies 34 England 3

I know I am late in announcing this, but have been so busy since returning from Philippines. So it was extremely positive to have the aussies have such a great performance against England, especially after having so many new changes to the line up. But then again Coach Connolly is the man, and he knows we have to put new blood in the team. And there is 5 more changes for the 2nd test tonight!

Thank you SMH & Getty Image for this shot of our new big man on the aussie team Rodney Blake! Damm big boy!

In the Philippines

2006-06-05T13:33:00.000+09:00

We have finally made it to Philippines, and we are really relaxing. I am going to make this short, as will cover the trip in detail when we return to Seoul.
What I can say is we are now in Cebu, and really soaking up the sand and sun. We had a great dinner at a friend's house last night! The most amazing house!
Anyway will chat soon! Salamat!

Golf was great, mum was here & had a massage

2006-05-31T11:52:00.000+09:00

As I expected, golf last week was fantastic. I actually had one of my best games in a very long time. The caddy was also sensational making sure that I did make those impossible putts. I hope to play again soon!

After golf, we went to the annual German Chamber of Commerce Dinner and sadly it was a little boring. They did translation in German and Korean only, so as I speak neither of those languages, we just chatted amongst ourselves. Was surprised that the meal was not nice at all, as have had some good dinners at the Grand Hyatt. In any case we got home by 11pm, just as mum was being collected by driver & car at the airport. She got to our place around midnight.

So the weekend was spent all hanging out together, eating a lot, and shopping. It was very nice to have mum around. Also gave mum my log in and password for this site as my spelling and grammar is driving her crazy. (Thanks mum!)

Sadly mum left yesterday lunch time after 5 days. She has been out of Australia for almost a month, so looking forward to getting home.

If I never mentioned before, I happened to also be in charge of the Fitness Centre in the hotel, so yesterday around 1pm my Fitness Centre Manager came to me and told me that the current massage company has pulled their contract and we have to sign a new one. He has a very good candidate, and needs me to test his skills. "What, I have to find an hour to spare to take a massage!" Oh, let me think about it! "okay, 5pm! So at 5 I head up to the gym, take a shower and then let this new masseur unleash his skills for 90 minutes. Yes, a bonus 30 minutes! By 630pm I walked out of the gym on cloud nine, but am sure I am going to hurt a little tomorrow as I had him really deep tissue massage some of the sore spots! Oh, the things I have to do at work!

Today is Wednesday, it's election day in Seoul, so I have a holiday! Just relaxing. Two more days and we are off to the Philippines for a holiday!!!

There is a Golf God!

2006-05-23T20:52:00.000+09:00

So as mentioned yesterday, today was going to be a huge day as is most of the week, and it was. Started in the office around 7am and finally got out around 7.15pm this evening. But as the title says - There is a golf god!

After doing a bit of work early, plus going to one meeting at 830am, I raced over to the COEX for the start of our training at 9am. Three days of training! Anyway, greeted all, including the trainer who is based in our Singapore office, and is someone I had met in Melbourne about 18 months ago. As we got into the training he put up a slide that summarized the actual training. It said "course will finish on tomorrow at 4pm"! What the f...!!!

At the next break a few minutes later I told him that I thought the training finished Thursday afternoon. Actually it finishes tomorrow at 4pm, but will then do 8 one hour sessions on the eight projects the hotel is undertaking over the remainder of the year. Two one hour sessions tomorrow, and the other six on Thursday. And you only need to attend the sessions that you are involved in the project! Ok ok, now if you can picture this, my mind is now racing. I am working out if I can get a few things shuffled around so I can play golf on Thursday! So honesty is the best policy and I explained that we have this big golf tournament, and two of us in the group of 20 were supposed to participate but declined because of the training. But is there a way we could put on the two projects that he and I are involved in tomorrow, as we do not need to be there for the other 6 projects, therefore Thursday is open! By now everyone was back, this was discussed, and thankfully as the two of us who wanted to play golf were the two most senior in the group, nobody complained, and all were happy for us to go first with our project sessions tomorrow afternoon!

So I raced out of the meeting room, called the Director of Sales & Marketing who I gave a hard time to yesterday, and said I can play on Thursday. Actually he was very happy, and has put me on a tee time! I am a very excited man!

The next few days is going to be crazy now; tomorrow training all day to 4pm, then 4.30pm to 7pm working on our project, have a dinner to attend at 7.30pm in our hotel, Thursday golf all day, back to the hotel for a meeting at 5.30pm, then a formal dinner at the Grand Hyatt with my lovely wife, and several other people from the hotel and their wives. This is the Annual German Society Ball which is at 8pm. Mum is arriving from Japan at 11.20pm and have a car and driver to pick her up and hopefully she should be at the house by 1am! Will be awesome to have her here again. Its only for 5 days, but so nice to have her around.

Wish me luck!

Another Game of Golf? Not!

2006-05-22T20:41:00.000+09:00

I knew that I was stepping into a huge week this week, with a big report completed today, several meetings this afternoon, and then the tease phone call of the year -

"Simon, so you know there is the company yearly golf tournament on Thursday"

me - "what are you talking about?"

"you know the yearly tournament where we invite our major clients. Its all day Thursday"

long pause......... " You didn't get any emails before now?"

me - " XX you know that I would do almost anything to get on the golf course here in Korea, but you know I have that TQM training Tuesday to Thursday inclusive!"

"oh, sorry, a shame, its going to be a lot of fun!" "Are you shore you cant get out of the training?"

me - " You think the trainer who's come all the way from head office in Singapore will appreciate my excuse that I have to miss the last day of training as I have to play golf?"

"Well, I am sure there will be another chance to play golf"

me - "yeah, thanks XX, you really know how to p.ss me off!"

I was pissed! I could not believe it. After such a great game last week, I could just picture another full day out of the office on the golf course, having a caddy at my beck and call! Anyway, I have to put that past me. Got three days of training from tomorrow, and had to bring home the pre-work tonight!

Have a great week!

First Korean Wedding

2006-05-21T12:52:00.000+09:00

We have had a lot of firsts lately, and yesterday was no exception. A colleague of mine who I do business with has, over the past months, also become a good friend. He is Korean, and is the one we went on a day trip to Incheon area about a month ago. Well, he and his fiance got married yesterday and we attended the wedding.

It was held in a Catholic Church near Yoeido area. We were a little late thanks to crazy traffic Saturday (nothing new), but enjoyed their ceremony in Korean. After the ceremony we took a couple of photos with the bride and groom, then had an early dinner with some of the others attending the wedding. Thankfully I knew a few others who attended as they all work in other hotels in Seoul, so we all sat down and ate together, and chatted away (they were all ladies, so lots of talking).

As we left the church we could not say goodbye to the bride and groom as they were taking part in a traditional Korean wedding ceremony in traditional outfits. We watched for a while, then left the church as a group and caught the subway home.

Will try to add photos later.

Golf Korea

2006-05-19T22:11:00.000+09:00

Look, its been a long week at work, but then again it did start on Monday with a great game of golf! I am going to go into detail, but I have to let you feel this amazing experience.

After being in Korea for almost a year, I was finally invited to play a game of golf. I'm sounding like a snob, saying I am finally invited, but that's not what I meant .. I promise. Anyway I was picked up by my host at 5.45am, passed by the hotel to pick up one of my guys and we headed to the golf course.

Now let me explain something to all those who do not know much about golf or about playing golf in a country like Korea. The first and most important thing is you either have to be rich, or second, work for a company that uses golf in business, or third, have a job where potentially people need to invite you to play golf. Well I do not fall into the first category, so in this case it is the third, where I am invited to play.

Golf in Korea is all about business, so when you prepare for a game, you need to look the part as well as act the part, or if you're really good, play the part. Unfortunately my golf skills are limited to the occasional lucky shot! So of course I act the part! Sorry, I keep moving off on a different tangent!

So after a nice drive for about an hour into the mountainous countryside we arrived at the Jung Bu Country Club. Met on the driveway by a valet, who pulled our clubs out of the car, and drove the car away. We then headed into the splendid club house, where we are greeted by a hostess who signs us in, assigns us lockers and we head into the locker room / sauna / shower room! I change into the outfit, put on a heap of sunscreen that is there complimentary, and meet up with the others in the clubs large restaurant. I have the American breakfast, the others all Korean breakfast, and we all sit around for 20 minutes admiring the beautiful mountain view.

Right on time we head out of the club house to the 1st hole where our clubs are already attached to a buggy that I have never seen before. We are greeted by a lovely caddy, who lines us up and introduces herself. Of course I have no idea what she is saying, but enjoy the formality! She didn't have to ask but already knew who's clubs belong to who, had all the clubs placed perfectly for easy access, including a separate section on the cart where all of our putters were kept. On the cart she gave us each a section to put our mobile phones, keys etc. Also on the cart was a bucket of water for what I later found out was used to clean every club after you hit. (Yes she cleaned every club with water, brush, and a towel before returning it to the bag) Around the caddy's neck was a control box which she used to control the buggy. Yes, the buggy was run by remote control!!

So we jump up on the 1st tee, she hands everyone their driving clubs which she knew without asking, and off we went. I will move along fast here now, but just need to say that the course was amazing. It was one of the best kept courses I have ever been on. The greens were perfect, ready for any professional championship, and the view around the course was what every golfer dreams about; no noise except the whistling of the wind between the trees, the sounds of birds singing in the sky, and the occasional water fall from the natural springs around the course. We had nobody in front of us, and no-one behind us. A golfer's perfect day. And to top it off it was about 22 degrees, and not a single cloud in the sky.

Highlights -
Never having to take a single golf club out of my bag as the caddy always did.
Caddy ,after two holes, had already worked out my club distances so chose my clubs and always brought them to me even if I was 100 metres away.
I never stopped enjoying watching the golf buggy just move automatically along the cart path (the way it worked was that under the cart path there were sensors, so it stayed on track and either stopped if the caddy manually stopped it or it would stop at sensors placed where the cart should stop)
On two occasions on the course we used electric walk ways like you find at airports. Both occasions were up steep hills. You jump on and up you go! Unbelievable!
The last highlight was not having to pay the US$1000 bill for the four of us!

Now you understand why golf in Korea is so unique! And the latest news to report is I was invited today to play a game of golf in the coming weeks with another client! Got to love Korea!! and no, I'm not telling you my score!!!

Fight Day

2006-05-13T18:39:00.000+09:00

So today we decided to get up early and dig into the hotel breakfast buffet which suprisingly we have never done together. By 9.30am when we arrived it was a little busy, but who cared about the crowds when you have such an awesome buffet in front of you. The problem is when you have a great buffet in front of you what do you eat? The body is not used to a lot of food in the morning. Anyway we ate our share and enjoyed it very much.

Next we jumped on the subway and headed for Itaewon. Our objective was to pick up a pair of golf shoes as mine were in Australia and I needed a pair anyway as I was playing golf on Monday. (Finally my first time to play in Korea) As some people would know, when you play golf in Korea you have to look the part as much as play the part! So once in Itaewon we checked out a few stores and finally found one that had my size. 150,000 Won later I had a lovely Italian pair of golf shoes! What to do!!!

We then decided to walk around a bit more and try to pick up a phone card. This is where the fun begins... so we walk into this store and these two ladies are talking away, looked like sisters, and suddenly the one on our side of the counter walks across the lane to a LG phone shop and starts arguing with the lady in that shop. Now if you can picture this the shop entrances are only 5 metres apart across this single lane so we could hear everything. All in Korean of course and lots of shouting. The lady in the shop we were in just ignored us and watched her sister argue with this lady. After a minute the sister walked out of the other shop but just as she was about to cross the lane the lady in the LG shop shouted something at here like f..k y**! I am sure. So the sister went back in and started screaming again, then the LG lady picked up some papers and threw them at the sister, then it was on!!! Wow I was loving it! Then sister in the shop we were in jumped from behind the counter, ran past us straight into the LG shop, around the counter and started swinging! Yes .. Throwing punches! It was on two sisters vs. LG lady! Clariza was a bit freaked out, but I was loving it. I even had time to flag an American guy on the side who didn't see what was going on to check out the fight! He was very thankful. After a few minutes the three each had each others' hair in their hands, a stalemate, two Korean guys jumped in, and finally it was broken up. We then left! Now that was interesting! Sorry for the long story, but I was just amazed to see it!

Anyway we headed back to Samseong, and decided by some miracle we could just walk up and buy a ticket to a movie. Sure enough Mission Impossible was available and we watched it. I won't say much, but it was pretty good. Not the best. I have history with Mission Impossible as the cast and directors lived in the hotel I worked at in Sydney back in 1999, and I got to meet them all and actually talked several times with Tom Cruise. I even got to drive Ving Rhames around Sydney! And Dougray Scott had a little too much fun in Sydney!!

So we headed home after quiet an adventurous day. Fights on the streets and fights in the movie!

Seoul Korea

2006-05-09T22:03:00.000+09:00

Often people ask me what I think of Korea. What are the good things and what are the bad? Why do people always want to know the negatives? When a person visits Australia I never ask them what are the bad things? But it happens a lot here. Are people here just enthusiastic to find out what is wrong so they can fix it, or are they just baiting me?? In any case there is good and bad, but now is not the time to point them out.

What I can say is there are a lot of people in the business world trying to make Korea an easier place to do business, and make it easier for foreigners to be here. I participate in a group called CICI who are trying to bridge the cultural differences. Lets see how it goes.

Well, got to sleep as have to finish a presentation in the morning. Also not really sure why I am doing a post, maybe because I know I am neglecting my blog!

Incheon Day Trip

2006-05-07T13:10:00.000+09:00

A few weeks ago Clariza and I joined a good friend of mine ,Francis, and his fiance on a day trip around Incheon. We all know Incheon as the place with the airport, but actually it is a large city on the coast, and also has a very significant port terminal.

So below are a few photos of the trip. As you can see it was a beautiful day and we really had a wonderful time. We walked across some beaches, took a ferry trip across to Incheon city, had a seafood lunch, and a nice walk around Incheon Chinatown.

Bloggers Blank

2006-05-06T17:25:00.000+09:00

have not been writing much these days, which does not mean we're doing nothing, rather we are just living day to day and also going through several issues. Together we are stronger, so we will get through them.

Other than the stresses we both have, the weather has really warmed up, and can wear short sleeved shirts outside now. Its about time. A few more weeks and we have been here a year! One more year to go! We're not on a countdown, but are very happy we have almost completed the first year.

Last night we went to the large Buddha Temple behind the COEX for the Buddha's Birthday festival. It was extremely nice with all the hundreds of lanterns. Not long after we got there it started to rain, and has not stopped for a good 12 hours.

Ok, will try to post more soon, but no promises.

Farting in Public

2006-04-29T11:39:00.000+09:00

I know I haven't posted for quite some time and lets just put it down to no time and not much to say. Actually last weekend was very eventful and I will do a detailed post with photos over the next few days as it is a long weekend.

So as the title says - Farting in Public! Several days ago at about 11am, I walk over to the elevators, and stand there as you do until the elevator arrives. Then out of nowhere this guy to my right just rips out this huge loud fart in front of about 4 people. I could not believe it. He just stood there as if nothing had happened. In any case the elevator came and that was the end of that. Late in the afternoon on the same day, believe it or not the exact thing happened again, just different elevators, and a different man.

I just let it go as a weird thing, then two nights ago my boss and I went out for a dinner, we walked into the lobby of another big 5 star hotel and suddenly as we were walking this guy on the side just lets out the largest fart I think I have ever heard! It echoed through the entire lobby! We just burst out laughing, with this guy just still standing there as if nothing had just happened! Amazing! Only in Korea!

BBQ Etiquette

2006-04-19T17:11:00.000+09:00

It is important to refresh your memory on BBQ etiquette as it's the only type of cooking a real man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved.
When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

1) The woman buys the food.

2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, & makes dessert.

3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils & sauces, & takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
Here comes the important part:

4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates & cutlery.

6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her & asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again:

7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL & HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces & brings them to the table.

9) After eating, the woman clears the table & does the dishes.

And most important of all:

10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN & THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off."

And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....

LOL everyone .. it's just a joke!

George W Bush English Lesson

2006-04-12T11:28:00.000+09:00

Can the English language survive after Bush?

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country. "-George W. Bush

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."-George W. Bush

"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is ' to be prepared '."-George W. Bush

"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future. "
-George W. Bush

"The future will be better tomorrow."
-George W. Bush

"We're going to have the best educated American people in the world."-George W. Bush

" I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."-George W. Bush

"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe, we are a part of Europe."-George W. Bush

" Public speaking is very easy."-George W. Bush

"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."-George W. Bush

"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur. "-George W. Bush

"For NASA, space is still a high priority."- George W. Bush

"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children."-George W. Bush

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."-George W. Bush

" It's time for the human race to enter the solar system."-George W. Bush

For your safety, please do not try this at home!!

Thailand Trip

2006-04-01T18:29:00.000+09:00

The Thailand Trip! I am sorry it has taken so long to get this on the site, but after coming back from Thailand work has been extremely busy. I have decided that instead of offering a long winded novel of the trip, I will allow the photos to tell the story. I can't take credit for all the photos as most were taken from different people on the team. In any case to summarize, it was a fantastic trip. We called it a team building trip and it really was that. We had so much fun together, and I really got to know some of my team that much better.

Anyway, enjoy the photos, and of course there will be a few comments here and there.

Let the fun begin. Here we are on the bus at Bangkok airport on our way to Pattaya. It was a long flight, but already the excitement was building. We had this bus for the whole trip.

This is a photo of the lobby in our hotel. We were staying at the Jomtien Palm Beach Resort Hotel. Old hotel, but did the job, with a bed and A/C! We got to the hotel around 8pm after dinner on the way from the airport, and had 1 hour before going out.

By 10.00pm we were at a huge nightclub. This is not your normal nightclub. It has no dance floor, just rows of tables to drink, and a large stage where we sat through a 90 minute show, with the performers singing Korean, Japanese, and Chinese songs to the all Asian crowd, ..and me! Oh well, what to do!

Of course curiosity got to the group, so around midnight we all got into two jeepneys and headed to 'walking street'. For those who do not know 'walking street' it is where all the hundreds of bars are!

We were home by 2.30am, and awake for breakfast at 7.30am. This is a nice shot from the hotel overlooking Jomtiem Bay. Today was our full day yacht day, the highlight of the trip!

Here I am about to get on the yacht! We hired two yachts for the day.

Here are a couple of really nice shots of the yachts that we were on. As you can also see it is a fantastic day with no clouds, and no wind!

Above are a few shots of myself and some of the team on the yacht. It really was such a nice morning on the yachts. First chance to unwind and take a deep breath of really fresh air.
What we are eating there is the freshest of sashimi (raw fish). About an hour or so in the trip we put down anchor and we all did some fishing. Over an hour we caught about 25 fish, of which about 10 of them the captain cut them up as we caught them and we feasted on sashimi that we had just caught! Fantastico!
We then went onto a lovely bay that had a small reef, and we snorkelled for an hour or so. It was so warm in the water and refreshing after being on the boat for several hours. As you can see I was wearing my tshirt in the water also as it was so hot! White boy like me is going to fry if I don't cover up!

We then headed over to a small island where we had Korean BBQ on the beach. As you can see there was no shade, so we were all covered up with clothes and even towels. On the island we had jet skis and a banana boat which I played around on for a while.
We then went to a place called 'Monkey island'. The group fed them a little, and then we all got back on the yachts and headed back to the mainland after a most amazing day.

This is the group team shot after we got off the yachts.

We got back to the hotel around 7pm, and all met at 8pm in the seafood buffet restaurant in the hotel. Lots of food, had a few beers, and though I was ready for bed, the playing must continue.
Though there are no photos, we then all had a two hour Thai massage. Now don't get any ideas ok! All the men were in one big room, and all the ladies in another big room. It was a great massage, and actually quite funny listening to the guys getting torn apart by 40kg Thai ladies!

The next morning four of us were up at 6am to leave for a morning game of golf! Unfortunately I do not have any shots, but it was a nice game of golf. The best thing about playing in Thailand is you have a caddy who helps with everything from finding your balls when you hit in the bushes (As I do!) to making sure you putt on the greens with local know how! The shot above is of the spa massage room in the hotel. About 10 of us decided to spend the afternoon having a full spa treatment for almost three hours. This was everything from massage, to facial, to foot massage, to spa baths. I left feeling out of this world.

The evening was spent going to a touristy Thai restaurant where we did have a nice dinner, and treated to a Thai show. Of course lots of beer was drunk. I sadly ended up having a quiet evening as came down with a migraine. I think the last two days of sun caught up with me. In any case the only thing I missed out on was three hours of Karaoke!

Oh, and this is a shot of a few of us outside the Thai Restaurant when we arrived.

And this is some of the food we ate in the Thai Restaurant for dinner.

Here are a couple of shots taken sadly on Saturday,the day we were leaving, at Jomtien Beach and Pattaya Beach! We had no time at the beach as we left the hotel at 11am on Saturday. I just had time to use the internet and a quick pedicure! LOL!

Not many shots of Saturday as we did a long bus trip back to Bangkok. We stopped at several tourist stops but landed ourselves at this unreal buffet house for our final dinner. It had so many choices, and really the food was excellent. Above are a few shots of the dinner.

After dinner we went to a department store for a 90 minute shopping spree, then headed to the airport. At the airport we had a few hours to duty free shop, so I stocked up on several bottles of alcohol for self and several others at work. Finally left Thailand at 12.30am for a long flight back to Seoul!

So there you have it. The trip. Nice shots yes! But of course too quick, and just not enough time to do so many other things we wanted to do. In any case I will not forget the trip for a long time.

Welcome Spring!

2006-03-27T22:11:00.000+09:00

The weekend was amazing, not just because it was an enjoyable weekend, rather winter is gone and Spring has taken over. It was a beautiful sunny weekend, and finally did not have to wear a winter jacket. I sure hope this is not a tease!

Was not able to leave work on Friday until almost 8pm as we were so busy, therefore our evening was very relaxed at home on the couch watching a DVD of the first series of "24". What a great series. Clariza and I could watch it for hours, but we opt for a couple of episodes.

Anyway Saturday began as most Saturdays do for us with a fantastic sleep in followed by a great bacon and egg breakfast! Sensational! We then cleaned up around the house and around 1pm our friends came over for an hour whom we are cat sitting for. Did I ever mention this? We have had now for almost 4 weeks to lovely Siamese (spelling??) cats, named Miya, and Masai. We are not cat lovers by a long shot, but they are cool cats. Once our friends get a place to live then the cats are out.

In any case we all headed out down to the COEX Mall where we watched Brokeback Mountain at the Mega Plex.

Here are the boys! Heath Ledger (aussie aussie aussie) acts very well, but I got to say that the movie is just okay. The scenery in Wyoming & Texas is amazing, and the overall acting is good. Even the story line is somewhat interesting but it is toooooooooooo loooooong! Damm my ass was sore after sitting that long!? (No pun intended!) I just got irritated after a while and after finishing the movie realized that so many scenes just did not need to be in the film. (my expert opinion!!) But it really was a full on movie, and watching it in a cinema in Korea was kind of interesting. This country is very closed door to gays & lesbians, and suprised how many people were watching the movie. Good to see. This country has to open their eyes to the real world.

After the movie we walked around a little, had a coffee, then took a taxi to a Korean Restaurant called Samwon Garden. I have eaten at one of their locations last year with a guest in the hotel, and this time we all wanted to go and have a nice Korean meal.

It was quiet fun, but expensive and not enough! We are all not really into Korean food (besides BBQ) which is a shame as there is so much interesting food here. Our problem is we do not eat spicy food, so many of the small dishes that come with the meat we do not eat. Anyway our loss. So in any case we ordered beef kalbi, and beef bulgogi. It was extremely delicious, but not enough. Oh well, it was fun, and we drank a few beers. We left just as the rain started and headed back to the hotel.

At the hotel we decided on some wine and desserts! Great idea. We shared a couple of sampler desserts which were amazing, and I had a lovely dessert spumanti wine.

Finally home by 11pm after a great afternoon and evening.

Sunday was a lazy morning, nice lunch at home, followed by our regular subway ride to Hyewha. ( I spell it differant everytime) We went to the church for a while, then attended our Batangas Association Meeting afterwards at a Beer House. Great place to have a meeting! After the meeting we got stuck into a very large amount of fried chicken, and even more beer.

After too much beer and enough fried chicken to clog my arteries for a year, we got a taxi and headed home. 1030pm in bed after another fun weekend in Seoul!

About Me!

2006-03-23T22:17:00.000+09:00

I was tagged by a friend, so since I have very little to write these days I thought I would go ahead and do it. I know it is supposed to be the best 4 of everything, but I just got carried away.

Jobs I’ve had in my life -

Bouncer in Night Club (Studabakers Hawaii)
Football Field Painting (University of Hawaii)
Bellman in Hotel ( Travelodge, Sydney Australia)
Pool Side Waiter (PIC Guam)
Surboard & Beach Equipment Rental staff (Waikiki Beach Hawaii)
Front Office Manager ( Al Ain, United Arab Emirates)
Executive Assistant Manager ( Seoul, Korea)

Movies I could watch over and over -

Shawshank Redemption
Le Grande Blue
Star Wars Trilogy
Rudy

Places I’ve lived -
Sydney, Australia
Honolulu, Hawaii USA
Guam, USA
Hayman Island, Queensland Australia
Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Melbourne, Australia
Seoul, South Korea

TV shows I love to watch -

LOST
Amazing Race
24
Survivor

Memorable places I’ve been on vacation -

Kauai, Hawaii
Las Vegas, USA
Santorini, Greece
Ubud, Bali
Paris, France
Rome, Italy
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Ayers Rock, Northern Teritory
Borocay & Tagaytay, Philippines
Koh Samui, Thailand

websites I visit daily -

Excite Email (http://www.excite.com/)
Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au/)
Ehotelier (http://www.ehotelier.com/)
UH Athletics (http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu/)

My favorite foods -

Good Australian Steak
Lumpia & Chicken Adobo
Pizza
Seafood

Places I’d rather be right now (Am happy in Seoul by the way)-

The two of us with family & friends in Australia
The two of us with family & friends in Philippines
The two of us traveling around Italy & France

Back in Seoul

2006-03-19T17:33:00.000+09:00

Well as with the last few posts this will be a little short as not too much to post. Of course I will do a big one on the trip to Thailand which by the way was a fantastic trip. Last night we left Bangkok at 1am, with a 5 hour flight landing at 8am because of the time differance, and finally home around 1030am after goodbye's at the airport. I was lucky enough to get a hotel limousine into Seoul and to our house as one had done a early guest drop off and had no new pick up at the airport. Its now 530pm, have slept a few hours and watched the F1! Shit, Mark Webber out with a blown engine!

By the way if you do notice at all I have this new International counter on my site. It records the country of where each person who visits the website. I know the 1 person from Thailand is me. Can you believe I have had a visitor from Malawi! What suprises me is the amount of people from the USA. Why so interested in Korea? Anyway I think it is really cool.

Ok, back to resting, and will make a nice blog on Thailand soon.

In Thailand Too Hot Too Busy

2006-03-18T11:38:00.000+09:00

Just a real quick update to say I am alive and well. The trip has been non-stop since arriving. Last day today, and fly back to Seoul tonight. It has been a lot of fun, and of course too short. Once back will do a detailed update and I hope a lot of photos.

Korea today, Thailand tommorow!

2006-03-14T22:38:00.000+09:00

I hate to rub it in, but tommorow I head off to Thailand with around 24 of my staff for several days of relaxing. Already lined up is a full day yacht trip with fishing, banana boats, and jet skis. Also have a day of golf on the cards, and of course lots of drinking and eating. And before you start to get funny ideas, a nice "legitimate"Thai Massage!

So I hope to return by the weekend with lots of photos.

Weekend is Over

2006-03-12T22:19:00.000+09:00

This really was a weekend that I did not want to end. Wasnt like it was an amazing weekend or anything, it was just relaxing, and enjoyable.

Had a nice dinner Friday evening in Hakone Japanese Restaurant in the Hotel. Then headed back to our place with a few friends and drank a few beers!
Saturday morning was the usual sleep in until 1030am, and then I devoured my two eggs on toast with 4 pieces of bacon, and a cup of tea! Damm what a perfect way to start the weekend. We just lazed around the house all day, then had a fantastic dinner at Table 34 on top of the hotel. Table 34 is as close as you can get to fine dining, and the food is great. The prices .... well lets put it this way.. "it aint cheap"!! We ended up back at one of friends rooms, drank maybe a bit too much wine, and we walked home around 2am.

This morning I dragged myself out of bed around 1000am, with no headache. The same could not be said for Clariza who was suffering a lot more than me. Its ok, I made her a lovely breakfast! We left the house around 1pm for Hyewha where we went to church, did a little shopping, and of course hung out with our friends. We got back just in time for the first Grand Prix of the year which just finished. Alonso 1st, M Shuemaker 2nd, and Raikkonen 3rd. Our aussie man Webber had a very respectable race coming in 6th.

So thats the story of the weekend. No complaints, though it has got well below zero again today! Would winter please leave! 3 more days until Thailand!

New Bloody Australian TV Commercial

2006-03-09T19:29:00.000+09:00

Australia has just released their laterst television commercial that will go all over the world. Now I think it is great, but the last sentance - "where the bloody hell are you" has created a heap of controversy. It is just Australian slang, and has no hidden meaning. Often we say how the bloody hell are you? ... for example. It just means how are you. Anyway, the funny thing is the British have banned it, but dare I say typical pompous attitude from the POMS! Oh well, be the judge for yourself. Click on the photo, and then click the appropriate buttons to watch. Would love your opinion! Heck if you asked me it is quiet refreshing, and original.

Coffee Time

2006-03-09T13:43:00.000+09:00

I know it has been a few days since I have blogged but work has been very busy, as well as we are currently cat sitting two of our friends cats until they get an apartment. Also I just dont have that much to say. Do have 6 days left until I head to Thailand for a work / relax trip with a few rounds of golf!

Anyway below is good story to read. (Thanks Chef!)

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups.""Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change." "Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So folks, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.

Politicians!

2006-03-05T11:07:00.000+09:00

I wonder what all these guys are thinking!

3000 hits & still in Seoul

2006-03-04T12:11:00.000+09:00

Well as the title says, this blog has now 3000 hits. As I have always said I started it to keep the family and friends more updated with our lives as I am not good at sending emails and letters. In any case it has become something more, but really I am enjoying it, as well as our time here in Korea.

A year ago we had no idea that we were going to be in Korea, let alone leave Australia, but as with my indutry, you could end up anywhere. Heck two years ago we were in Dubai! I really wish I knew about this blog thing back then as we had so many adventures and stories to tell.

Aside from the holiday on Wednesday, it has really been a busy week at work. But the good news is the renovation I have been dealing with for the past nine months is almost over. From April 1st (no joke), the hotels rooms will be full renovated and we will have a fantastic product! Two more weeks, and I am off to Thailand for 5 days will 25 of my staff. It is going to be a blast!

So it's now Saturday, and tonight a group of us are heading out to our favourite DimSum restuarant. I can't wait!

Only In Sudan - Married to a goat!

2006-03-01T12:47:00.000+09:00

From a Local newspaper in Sudan, which was also put into the Australian Newspaper so must be true -

MAN FORCED TO MARRY GOAT

Goat ... identity of the victim cannot be revealed

A MAN caught "in flagrante delicto" with a goat has been forced to marry the animal.According to the local newspaper, The Juba Post, the goat's owner, a Mr Alifi, caught his neighbour, Mr Tombe, assaulting his goat and reported the man to the local council of elders for adjudication.

"It was around midnight when Tombe came to do his nonsense on my goat, and I was already in bed inside my house," Mr Alifi said.
"Suddenly I heard the goat make a loud noise. Immediately I rushed outside to find Mr Tombe was naked and engaged in a relationship with my goat. " When I asked him what are you doing there, he fell off the back of the goat, so I captured and tied him up. They said I should not take him to the police, but rather let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife."

Mr Tombe agreed to pay a dowry of 150,000 Sudanese dinars ($125) for his new spouse
We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi told the Post.

By the way it is a national holiday in Korea today so no work, but did end up at work to go to the gym, have lunch, and I guess do this blog! Have a great day!

Only in Korea - President sick of his job.

2006-02-28T21:56:00.000+09:00

When I first read this in the Korea Herald, I could not believe it was true. So I asked my co-workers is it true that President Roh thinks his 5 year Presidential term is too long?? Yes they said with a laugh, and moved on to the next subject. WTF! Here is a part of the article -

President Roh Moo hyun yesterday expressed his discontent with the current five year presidential term in a move likely to reignite a political dispute over a possible constitutional amendment.
"The five year presidential term feels too long," he told reporters during a mountain climb to mark his three years in office.

I just don't believe it! Can you imagine the President of a country who is 3 years into a 5 year term says he thinks his contract is too long? Now if someone mentioned that to their boss in the business world, they would be fired, or maybe transfered to butt-hell nowhere!

What suprises me the most is it really has not recieved much more attention. Hell, if my Prime Minister, Johnny Howard said something like this in Australia, heads would roll, and a new election date would be set. Can you imagine if President Bush said this to a bunch of reporters! Whatever context it was made in, I wouldn't want him running my country with comments like this!

Pasta & Beer Night

2006-02-26T14:06:00.000+09:00

Well, Saturday's are always a great day to unwind, and yesterday was no exception. The day was extremely uneventful, hanging around the house, watching movies, eating, and playing on the Net.

We met up at 7.00pm at the hotel (InterCon), and had a great Italian Dinner at Cafe Esperesso. We were going to eat in Hakone, but it was full thanks to a 1000+ wedding that had overflow guests. Pasta as always was very good, the wine of the month was some South Australian wines, and the cheescake desert was to die for.

We then headed over to O'Kim's Brauhaus which is in the COEX Convention Centre. It is run by the Westin, and is always full in the evenings. Besides regular mixed drinks, though they didnt have Bacardi last night, their specialty is some awesome Home Brew! Three variaties of beers. Very nice beers. I tried all three. We were joined by two other friends and all of us enjoyed the eveninig downing drinks, and being entertained the Bulgarian six piece band. Sadly they emptied the place at 1130pm, and we headed back to the InterCon. Great night, and I dont even have a headache this morning. Got to go, where off to Hyewha.

The entrance to O'Kim's. Get there early as sometimes you have to wait for a table. We waited 10 minutes!

James Brown in Concert

2006-02-25T11:53:00.000+09:00

"Its great to be back in Shanghai" ! The quote was like someone running their nails down a blackboard! This was one of the first things James Brown said last night in his concert here in Seoul! I actually felt a little embarrased, but he did try to cover it up, and would be interested to see if others thought it was a joke or a f... up!

Anyway I should not let that take away from an amazing concert last night. What a fantastic band, great sound, lots of fun, and a crowd that really got into it! The concert was almost two hours long, and we were entertained from the greatest Soul Man of our times, and his band, and back up singers who were outstanding.

It was held in the Jamsil Indoor Stadium, with a crowd I reckon of about 3000. They played a wonderful variety of songs, from the classic hits, to lengthy jazz / soul numbers with the sax player at times stealing the show. He was just unreal. I closed my eyes and was just mesmerized by his skills on the sax! Wow!

Its funny, I never thought that I would see James Brown in concert in my lifetime and listen to some of those classics like "I feel good, I knew that I would", that I have listened to since I was so young. Good one you Seoul, and the promoters for bringing such a great concert here.

This guy above was the MC for the show. He really only spoke at the beginning of the show, but you could tell, he was most likely James Brown right hand man. He had the Soul groove going on!

The Soul Sisters! These ladies had voices that could have stolen the show if they were allowed. The danced and danced, and sung back up like they have been doing with James Brown all of their lives.

This guy on the saxaphone was just fantastic. I just loved every solo that he did, and he just drove the crowd crazy. Amazing talent, and was privelaged to hear him play.

Caught a Cold!

2006-02-22T21:39:00.000+09:00

Damm! I thought I could get through the second half of the winter without catching a cold, but sure enough it came over the weekend. Made two mistakes once I caught it. First was go out Sunday evening for several hours, when I should have stayed indoors. Monday feeling like crap, still went to work, had a huge day, and should have gone home right after work, but attended a work dinner function, where I ended up leaving half way through it after throwing up, and a headache turned into a migraine! So Monday night 9.30pm, I crawled into bed, with Clariza freaking out as I looked like I was about to die, and I struggled to get rid of the migraine. And of top of that of course I had the cold with a sore throat, and a blocked nose.

I had half a brain to sleep for 12 hours and woke up about 1030am, with the migraine gone, but the cold in full force. I stayed at home for 3 more hours then my stubborn personality hit, and decided to go to work for a few hours! (idiot) I walked into work, did a few hours, and decided I better go home! Had an early night, and today I was at work at 730am feeling the recovery was on! Its now evening and the drugs are working, and I am feeling a lot better, but am sure it will still be a few more days until its gone!

What I didnt mention and just thought about it was that also on Monday morning I did go to the hospital. I went to Asan Hospital, to the International Clinic. The Doctor I saw there was Dr. Kwok and he was fantastic. He really took the time to pinpoint the problem, discuss all the symptoms, and prescribed only one medication, and not a dozen. The clinic there is excellent, and extremely helpful. My bill for the consult was only 18,000 won plus 10,300 for medication for 10 days! Not bad. I do have the government medical card, but the discount was minimal. Anyway, I do recommend the clinic and Dr. Kwok .... who is not a kwak!

Seoul Orphanage

2006-02-18T13:04:00.000+09:00

On Thursday Clariza and I joined the Charity Club from the hotel to spend the afternoon at an Orphanage in Seoul. We both thought that it would be important to represent the hotel, as well as a personal thing to be a little more involved in the community. I know we were both a little nervous going there as we had never been to an orphanage, and we did not know what to expect.

After a 30 minute drive in the lovely Seoul traffic we came to the orphanage. On the way the head of the hotel charity group explained to us that this orphanage consisted of around 80 children aged between 1 month old to 10 years old. All are normal children with no disabilities or problems, but were abandoned by their parents. Most he explained is un-wed mothers who dump the new born babies on the street, or in front of a police station.

So we entered, met the manager of the house, changed into something that look like a chefs jacket, but yellow (this helps the children identify visitors) and we had to empty all of our pockets.

The first hallway we entered consisted of two rooms, on the left side that house babies aged between 1 month to 18 months old. There was about 13 babies. They were taken care of by two ladies on a shift that work for 24 hours, 9am to 9am. On the opposite side of the two rooms were two bathrooms, and a small kitchen to prep the food. We hung out with the babies for about an hour holding them, trying to make them smile, and just giving them some extra human touch. It was so weird to be there looking at these babies, and holding them knowing that they have no parents taking care of them, just the helpers, and the volunteers that came to the orphanage like us. After an hour I treid to go into the room of the 18month old to 3 years old. When we entered the room, the 10 kids or so just started to freak out and once one cried almost all of them cried. I was not sure what to do, so I left and went back to the babies. I thought better to take on that room later.

We then went upstairs where there was about 5 rooms and 5 helpers with children aged between 3 to 7. Most of these rooms were conducting classes with their helpers, so apart from one room where we played with one or two kids for 30 minutes, we really didnt hang out with the others. On this second floor there was about 40 kids.

We then went over to another house behind the 1st building which housed the older children. It was a nice house with communal sleeping area and kitchen on the second floor, and 1st floor was where there was like a games room and study area with computers. The head of the charity club explained that last year the hotel donated 20,000,000 won ($20,000) to redo the entire interior of the house. It looked very nice. Anyway here we were attacked by about 10 kids aged between 7 to 10. We went to the play room and the girls kind of kept to themselves, but the boys stuck to me like glue. They wanted to sit on my lap. hold my hand, throw them around the room and more. I could so feel how these kids just wanted to have some affection and attention which I am sure they could not get much of.

So after an hour of exhausted work with the boys we went back to the babies and the 3 year olds whom I freaked out before. This time I played with a baby outside of their room door, and they just watched me through the glass. I figured if they saw this they would realize I was not a threat. So after 15 minutes I put the baby down and entered the room. They were very hesitent, but I just moved to one corner of the room and sat on the floor. I pulled faces at the kids, and clapped, and made funny noises. Finally after a few minutes one of the older boys ran over and jumped on me. From then on the tension eased, and over the next 45 minutes some of the others warmed up to me. During the time we fed some of them dinner with the helpers, and at 6.00pm all volunteers had to leave, and we bid our farewells.

Clariza and I have discussed this experience a few times since then, and we plan to go again next month, the third Thursday of every month. It was a powerful experience and I will never forget it. I think it could be very hard for some people, but I think it is a humbling experience to take yourself into such a differant world and try to make a small differance to these children. Sorry for the long message, but I thought it would be nice to share the experience.

English Lessons

2006-02-17T11:38:00.000+09:00

Since I live in Korea, where the vast majority of expats are teaching English, I have forwarded this fantastic video. Please enjoy.

http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/06021505.html

This is another funny video about english -

http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/06021502.html

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T11:17:00.000+09:00

Wishing everyone a very wonderful Valentine's Day.

February 14th for me is a very big day. Not only is it the most important day to show my love to my wonderful wife, but it is also her Birthday! How lucky am I! One gift for two celebrations! NOT!! I have to treat this as two seperate occassions ... and rightly so!

Last night I had to go out with some business associates, and told them I had to be home by midnight or I better bring the divorce papers! So at 1140pm I was in a taxi on my way home.. and made it! So our clebration of February 14th is a 24 hour affair! But hey, Im the luckiest man in the world.

So whilst we are on the subject of Valentine's Day I thought I would give you a summary of how they deal with this day and certain love days in the year in Korea. All so fascinating, but.. I will stick with the normal way, or my life will be over!

Valentine's Day is on February 14 in Korea, as with everywhere else in the world. On that day, many girls and young women give candies and chocolate to their boyfriends and husbands.

There is another special day like Valentine's Day in Korea. It is called 'White Day." White Day is on March 14. It is just the contrary of Valentine's Day. Many boys and young men give chocolates to their girl friends and wives. Some confess their love to their girlfriends on that day, so many young women look forward to it. (So corny!)

Lots of shops display a variety of chocolates and candies before both Valentine's Day and White Day. Downtown is crowded with many young people who want to enjoy those days. But young people who had no girlfriend or boyfriend didn't like those days because they spent them alone. So, they made another special day called 'Black Day' for themselves. Black Day is on April 14. On this day, they have Jajang noodles with their friends who are in the same situation. Jajang noodles are black, so that is why they call it Black Day. However, it is still not as popular as Valentine's Day and White Day.

Korea Information

2006-02-11T12:45:00.000+09:00

After now living in Korea for over 8 months, I have to say that the bulk of the information to assist us in our stay has come from some outstanding websites. I am going to detail below most of these websites and hope that if anyone is ever going to travel here, or lives here, it may assist. Of course some are better than others, but overall the quality of these sites regarding information is fantastic.

I am using the logos for these websites and I hope no one gets offended. Actually maybe I should be paid to promote their websites! Haha I dont have that many people looking at my site. In any case, enjoy, and hope that it helps.

If you want to know so much more about Seoul and Korea, and I mean really getting out there and exploring, well this site is for you. Join an international group who travel practically every weekend to differant parts of Korea for what I feel is very attractive rates.

Wonderful website with extensinve information about Korea, on what to do, where to go, where to eat, and just so much more. Will take time to fully explore this website, but well worth the tour!

Is a monthly English written magazine in Seoul. The website, gives a lot of up to date information on what is happening in Seoul, and then some. I read the magazine always, and have it in our hotel rooms. I also use the website for a quick find.

A great website with a lot of community information a job line, but overall is a good website for those new to Korea with help targeted for foreigners.

A think a hidden secret. Seoul Metropolitan Government has got this most amazing map website. You will need to do a small download for it to work, but please do so. Once you got it, then play with the navigation and you will be able to see any street, church, hospital, hotel, school in Seoul. It is a great site.

Really cool site, written by expats living in Seoul. Lots of updated information on the places to eat, the places to shop, and so much more. A great website to put under favourites. I have found some good information over the past months.

Another very detailed website on Korea, that has so many links to great information. Another one I am sure used by a lot of people.

Since I seem to be fixated on the cold weather of Seoul as I can never work out really how cold it is, I always go to this weather site. It seems to be pretty accurate, and is the only weather site I use in Korea.

Community forum Board on Korea. For me, is pretty good, but not as many users as Dave's ESL. In any case it focuses less on jobs and more on the overall questins and answers about Korea. Keep it in favourites.

Dave's ESL Cafe, the undisputed champion Korea forum website, with hundreds of expats in Seoul using in on a regular basis to ask the questions and give the answers we really want to know. For those in the teaching world, then it is a must to check this one out on a regular basis. But even me, who is not a teacher, reads this site at least three times a week.

A very good website if you want to know what is really happening in the news. It focuses on the main articles in the various newspapers, including Korean, and gives it to you in English. A must read for me a few times a week.

So if you are a Aussie / Kiwi, this is the group for you. I am guilty of the fact that we have not joined but will do so this year. They seem to have a lot going on, and seem to provide heaps of activities for the ladies.

Now, I am sure I have missed a few other key websites, and would appreciate any feedback if I should add some. Have a great weekend!

Management Philosophy & a blonde joke

2006-02-08T20:39:00.000+09:00

I had a 5 hour meeting today! Can you believe it! Some people work 5 hours... I have one meeting for 5 hours! Anyway, have a few pics attached that were sent by a mate in Dubai, and the blonde joke comes from a friend at work. And hey, dont shoot the messanger on the joke ok!

And now for the blonde joke ........................................................

Subject: A jigsaw

A blonde calls her boyfriend and says:
"Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle and I can't figure out how to get started."

Her boyfriend asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?".
The blonde says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster."
Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle.
She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says,
"First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster.

He then takes her hand and says:
"Secondly, I want you to relax..... Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then....." he said with a deep sigh "........ Let's put all these Corn Flakes back in the box."

Have a nice day!

Korea's Robot Future

2006-02-06T13:47:00.000+09:00

Article from the Korean Times. I have to say, this is the future of Korea. Love the picture.

Police, Army Robots to Debut in 5 Years
By Kim Tae-gyuStaff Reporter

By the 2010s, Korea is expecting to see robots assisting police and the military, patrolling the neighborhoods and going on recon missions on the battlefield.

The Center for Intelligent Robots on Monday said the state-backed agency plans to check the feasibility of security robots by convening a 40-member planning committee late this week.
``If the robots prove to be viable technically and commercially, we will be able to begin developing them late next year,'' said Lee Ho-gil, head of the center.

When completed, the outdoor security robots will be able to make their night watch rounds and even chase criminals, according to Lee. The government also seeks to build combat robots. They will take the shape of a dog or a horse, with six or eight legs or wheels.

Toward that end, the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) and the Defense Ministry will combine to channel a total of 33.4 billion won ($33.9 million) through 2011.
``The robots will be directed by a remote control system or move autonomously via their own artificial intelligence systems,'' MIC project manager Oh Sang-rok said.
``The two sophisticated robots will be empowered by the country's state-of-the-art mobile network, thus enabling mass production at an affordable price,'' Oh noted.

Smart robots need three basic functions of sensing, processing and action. Thus far, robotics researchers have tried to cram the three into a single dummy, causing expenses to soar.
Instead, the planned robots will be receiving most sensing and processing capabilities via a Web connection. Only the ability of movement will be located in the robot.
``In a nutshell, the mobile robot offers a hardware platform for the smart functions provided by the country's advanced network connected to the super computers,'' Oh said.
Korea boasts the world's highest penetration of high-speed Internet with roughly 12 million out of total 15.5 million households hooked up to the always-on connection.

On top of their use in national defense and social security, the MIC hopes to use the network robots for the private sector late this year.
``Three kinds of households machines will commercially debut this October. They will sell for 1-2 million won, a price that will not scare off customers. The low price is possible since they are empowered by outside networks instead of incorporated software,'' Oh said.

The three sorts of wheeled robots will be used for various applications: cleaning rooms, health-care programs, Internet connection, home monitoring or reading books to kids.
The mechanical servants, some of which have the ability to re-charge automatically, can also order Chinese food and pizza by connecting to the local network.

The MIC already finished a test run of the household robots late last year by installing them in 64 households and two post offices in Seoul and its vicinity.
Hyung Tae-gun, director general at the MIC, expected the robots will sell up to 3,000 units for this year alone and the sales will surge in the near future.

``Recently Japan unveiled household service robots priced at up to 10 million won, almost 10 times as expensive as ours. So you can guess the competitiveness of our network robots,'' Hyung said.

Why do I keep thinking about that RoboCop Movie!

Busy Social Schedule

2006-02-05T21:17:00.000+09:00

It's Saturday morning and the Seoul freeze continues. Its about -12 outside, and was a cool -18 last night when we came home around 10pm.Let me back track to Thursday evening...

Thursday evening Clariza and I went and watched Memoirs of a Geisha. Our hotel had rented out one thetre at the COEX Megabox, and we hosted about 400 of our key bookers. I had read the book several years ago, and of course the movie was differant, but some of the acting as well as the scenery was fantastic. I highly recommend that you take the time to see the movie.

Then last night (Friday) we went and watched a Live Performance called Paris Can Can. It was held at the COEX Convention Centre Auditorium, and had a cast of about 15. It was a very lively show, from tradional Can Can dancing, french classical singing, to a comendy skit that was very funny, to a few acts that reminded me a little of Circ De Soliel (spelling?) Overall the 1 1/2 live show was great, and again worth going to. We had a few tickets from our hotel, but the show would have otherwise been quiet expensive.

Then Saturday night we really actually paid to go to a performance, which was STOMP. Stomp is a great live performance doing many differant skits using everything from brooms, matchboxes, rubbish cans, to plastic bags, to make unique noises, and dance, or perfectly choreographed together. It was about 1 1/2 hours long, and was a great show.

This is how their website describes the show -

Music, Dance, Theatre, Choreography or Performance Art? All of the above! Or is it none of the above. Well, both are sort of right...In a way. Confused? read on...
STOMP is a movement, of bodies, objects, sounds - even abstract ideas. But what makes it so appealing is that the cast uses everyday objects, but in non-traditional ways.
There's no speech, no dialogue, not even a plot.
So why go see STOMP? Well, have you ever composed a symphony using only matchbooks as instruments? Or created a dance routine based around sweeping? You may have done this a little, but get a group of rhythmically gifted, extremely coordinated bodies with definitive personalities, and you have the makings for STOMP.

Freezing Seoul

2006-02-03T08:05:00.000+09:00

One of the long standing jokes in my office every morning this winter is when I come crashing into the office covered 5 times over with clothes crying about how cold it is outside. 90% of the time, reactions are from outright laughing to lectures on the fact that -2 or -3 is not really cold! Can you believe it! They just don't understand that where I grew up where 10 degrees Celsius is cold, or when I lived in Hawaii for 8 years, where cold was 16 degrees Celsius.

Funny enough as the winter has drawn on, I have actually started to feel what is cold or what is really cold. This morning I had a breakthrough..

After stepping onto the road in front of my house I knew it was bloody cold. There was some wind also, and after a minute I actually had tears in my eyes. I quickened to Olympic sprint pace to get out of this cold, but sure enough I was caught at the main road traffic lights! I stood there absolutely dying, and as it appeared around me, so was everyone else. I contemplated crossing 10 lanes of traffic, but luckily that reality side of my brain had not frozen over yet! Finally after what seemed hours, the lights changed and I jogged the last 300 metres to work! As I entered the hotel all I could think of walking into the office, and everyone would be laughing at me complaining about the cold. As I flung open the office door three of them were standing there, they burst out laughing, but all said "its really cold..Yes??!!" Victory! Finally they agree with me... But who wouldn't when one tells me the radio man said that wit the wind chill it is -20 degrees Celsius, or for you Fahrenheit people -3! I went online and checked the weather site and it said -14 Celsius, with wind chill -19.. At 7am.

Have a warmer day!

Chinese eyes

2006-02-02T10:26:00.000+09:00

If you cannot decipher anything, then try pulling the corner of your eyes outwards as if you were Chinese. And no I am not trying to be racist, just a way to explain it ok! Not looking for hate mail...

Anyway, the weather has taken a U-Turn in Seoul and it fell below the zero mark after a week or so of weather hovering around 2 0r 3 degrees. It was -7 this morning, and should hit -11 tonight! No snow in the city, but they say the mountains are covered in snow in the North. Would be nice to see.

One of my work mates was telling me yesterday that what would normally take him 3 hours to drive back to Seoul from his parents house in the South, took him 9 hours on Monday evening! Amazing, and you here this story all the time. You know, this is the only problem in Korea, the traffic. Or should I say too many cars, or should I say the infrastructure in regards to roads. You know the subway system around Seoul is fantastic, and cheap. The Country railway system seems to be very good, and sometimes I see more buses on the roads than cars! But traffic is unreal. I have no real solution, so will not bitch too much, but heck if the economy is doing so well, why wouldn't you spend a bit more on fixing this never ending problem! Work mates say they are just used to it, and plan accordingly. And the final thing on this .... There is no road rage!
It works!

Fly Fishing Anyone

2006-01-31T20:57:00.000+09:00

Since I seem to be posting a few videos these days, I thought I would post this ne which was sent by Mum! Thanks Mum. You would think she is trying to give me a lesson on fishing!

http://media.putfile.com/Incredible-Fishing-Video

I believe this is taken in Brazil. Wish it was everywhere I fished! I tried to fish again over Christmas Day at my brothers places, and the only thing I caught was a sunburn!

Improve your workplace!

2006-01-31T15:26:00.000+09:00

http://www.adviserworks.com.au/binaries?img=310&stypen=html

Click on the link for a great short movie on work discipline! Now this is how to get those efficiencies going. See even when I am at work I am looking for ways to improve! Do you think it is unconventional?

By the way it takes a little while to download, but promise it is funny! And you will need Windows Media Player.

Happy New Year

2006-01-30T21:54:00.000+09:00

Kong Hei Fat Choy

Year of the Dog!

1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders.

Clariza and I are born in 1971, so we are the year of the pig, or boar.. whatever you want to call it. We celebrated this long weekend, by just really relaxing. Today we never left the house until 6pm, then had a lovely Japanese dinner in the Hakone Restaurant in the Hotel. So sad.... back to work tommorow! Can't I win the lottery!

Love Long Weekends in Seoul

2006-01-29T11:02:00.000+09:00

Well the long weekend has hit us and we are having a wonderful relaxing time. The weather is a little warmer, hovering above zero, but that made little differance through the day yesterday as we just lazed around the house watching the last 4 episodes of LOST, on the box set for the first season. We are loving it, and now we would do almost anything to be able to start watching Season 2. Where not holding our breath though, as it seems it is not showing in Korea.

Anyway, last night with met up with some friends, and hoaxed them into coming to one of our favourite downtown restaurants that we had mentioned before i think in September post. Dintaifung is an awesome modern Chinese dumpling restaurant with open kitchen, modern design, and pretty good service. We had a fantastic meal as expected, only 75,000 won for four big eaters, and our friends were very impressed. And he is the Executive Chef at the hotel! So glad that he and his lovely wife enjoyed it.
http://www.dintaifung.co.kr/

We then decided to chance a 15 minute walk to the Downtown Lotte Department store, where hiding in the basement is a huge Krispy Kreme. http://www.krispykreme.com/
The reason we were not sure if it would be open is it is the largest holidays in Korea, but thankfully as we peered around the last corner, lights were still on, and as always with a KrispyKreme, it was busy! So we devoured a few donuts, had a coffee, then decided to walk around the streets in this area where there were hundreds of the night street vendors selling everything from fake DVD's, fake Gucci watches, to little puppies for sale (they were real!) I think this particular area is called Myondong. (Sorry for the spelling) We then caught a taxi home and had a humurous 20 minutes with out taxi driving, trying to practice our Korean on directions. He was having a great time, I think, but then again, when you have a 6foot 10 inch chef sitting next to you, you should laugh at anything he says!

Well its Sunday, time to go to the Gym, have lunch at the hotel, then heading to a function in the afternoon. Speak soon!

Really Funny Movie on Sushi

2006-01-27T23:41:00.000+09:00

Hi there,

The attached movies is via a blog I read sometimes, http://laowai.blogspot.com/, who actually got it from another blog - http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/chaxiubao/

Anyway it is quiet long, but very funny, and one guys to me is the Japanese version of Mr. Bean!
http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/BK/05/1211/japanese_tradition_sushi.mov

Its a long weekend, and Clariza and I are trying to watch the entire First Season of Lost, on a box set given by Dad for Christmas! Thanks! We are so far loving it, and forced ourselves to stop tonight or we would watch till the sun rises!

Australia Day!

2006-01-26T10:58:00.000+09:00

God bless Australia!

WE ARE ONE!

We are the people of a free nation of blokes, sheilas and the occasional wanker.
We come from many lands (although a few too many of us come from New Zealand), and although we live in the best
country in the world, we reserve the right to bitch and moan about it whenever we bloody like.
We are One Nation but divided into many States.

First, there's Victoria, named after a queen who didn't believe in lesbians.
Victoria is the realm of Mossimo turtlenecks, cafe latte, grand final day, and big horse races.
Its capital is Melbourne, whose chief marketing pitch is that "it's livable". At least that's what they think.
The rest of us think it is too bloody cold and wet.

Next, there's NSW, the realm of pastel shorts, macchiato with sugar, thin books read quickly and millions of dancing queens.
Its capital Sydney has more queens than any other city in the world and is proud of it.
Its mascots are Bondi lifesavers who pull their Speedos up their cracks to keep the left and right sides of their brains separate.

Down south we have Tasmania, a State based on the notion that the family that bonks together stays together. In Tassie, everyone gets an extra chromosome at conception.
Maps of the State bring smiles to the
sternest faces.
It holds the world record for a single mass shooting, which the Yanks can't seem to beat no matter how often they try.

South Australia is the province of half-decent reds, a festival of foreigners and bizarre axe murders.
SA is the state of innovation. Where else can you so effectively reuse country bank vaults and barrels as in Snowtown, just out of Adelaide (also named after a queen).
They had the Grand Prix, but lost it when the views of Adelaide sent the Formula One drivers to sleep at the wheel.

Western Australia is too far from anywhere to be relevant.
It's main claim to fame is that it doesn't have daylight saving because if it did,
all the men would get erections on the bus on the way to work.
WA was the last state to stop importing convicts and many of them still work there in the government and business.

The Northern Territory is the red heart of our land: Outback plains, sheep stations the size of Europe, Kangaroos, Jackaroos, Emus, Uluru, and dusty kids with big smiles.
It also has the highest beer consumption of anywhere on the planet and its creek beds have the highest aluminium content of anywhere too.
Although the Territory is the centrepiece of our national culture, few of us live there and the rest prefer to fly over it on our way to Bali.

And there's Queensland.
While any mention of God seems silly in a document defining a nation of half arsed sceptics, it is worth noting that God probably made Queensland, as its beautiful one day and perfect the next.
Why he filled it with dickheads remains a mystery.

Oh yes and there's Canberra.
The less said the better.

We want to make “No worries mate" our national phrase, “She'll be right mate" our national attitude and "Waltzing Matilda“ our national anthem (so what if it's about a
sheep-stealing crim who commits suicide).

We love sport so much our newsreaders can read the death toll from a sailing race and still tell us who's winning.
And we're the best in the world at all the sports that count, like cricket, netball, rugby league and union, AFL, roo shooting, two up and horse racing.

Stand proud Aussies - we shoot, we root, we vote.
We are girt by sea and pissed by lunchtime.
I am, you are, we are Australian!

PS. We also shoot and eat the two animals that are on our National Crest!!!!
No other country has this distinction!

Happy
Australia
Day

Its cold!

2006-01-25T21:05:00.000+09:00

So few words over the past weeks, but happy to report that we are both back in Korea, and trying to survive the back end of the winter season. This weekend is the Chinese Lunar New Year, so a three day weekend. What does that mean for us?.. well we are just going to hang out in Seoul, eat some good food, hang out with friends, but just spend lots of time relaxing... oh yeah, and maybe go to the gym a couple of times! Hey dont laugh, I am trying to keep the weight in double digits! What to do?

At the end of this month we hit the 8 month barrier in Korea. It really is going fast, and actually we are so excited about this year. We have set some big goals, so at the end of the year we will let you know if we achieved them!

Tommorow is Australia Day. I think I will have a nice lunch with the chefs in the hotel, then in the evening Clariza has promised me she will eat a juicy aussie steak in the Australian Grill with me! Ahh, the sacrifices she has to make married to an Aussie! Aussie, aussie, aussie! Of course we will have a nice bottle of Aussie wine, (this will win her over!) and I will beg the pastry chef to make a Pavlova or even a Lamington! (In my dreams)

Still need to download our photos from the Christmas trip, so when that is done we will have a few more pics for the site.

And a big -kai- to my Beta Brothers. There seems to be a bit of momentum going amongst a lot of the brothers catching up, and sharing emails, and laughs. We even have a nice blog beginning. http://epsilonrhorongo.blogspot.com/
For those that do know, or dont, in 1990, my first semester in college in Hawaii, I was dragged along to a cocktail party that ended up being a recruitment drive for the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Somehow, I made the decision to be a pledge for the Betas, and then from that day, my adult life has been shaped in part, or significantly by my days in the fraternity. I would have to say, one of the best decisions I ever made. To this day, my fraternity, and my brothers are still very much part of my life, even with the great distances that seperate us. There is almost nothing I wouldn't do for my brothers, even today, over 15 years since I joined. Enough of that stuff... but in any case great to be able to share my life with them too.

Well thats all for now. Its getting late, and I got to work early tommorow. Words and photos soon!

Some Funny Photos for the day

2006-01-24T11:00:00.000+09:00

I really would pay money to bestanding behind this nun! What is she looking at????

New hotel toilet design? What do you think? I hope you dont get a complex?

Very smart mouse! What do you think his chances are?

Night out with the Front Office Team

2006-01-22T22:57:00.000+09:00

I used to consider myself a bit of the party type, but I tell you the Koreans love to party, no how to party, and always have the greatest time. Nobody gets punchy, just happy, and really enjoys themselves. This is some shots early in the evening at a Korean BBQ house. I cant show the photos from later in the night, cause boy, did those faces change. Enjoy.

Hotel Industry

2006-01-22T13:17:00.000+09:00

Ok, So I need to get my focus back on my blog. Work has been a killer since I began 2006, but all good though. Here are so thoughts about my wonderful industry. Some will get, some ..well.. maybe not.. I love the first one.. it is so damm true..

What Is A Hotel Manager?
A Hotel Manager must be a diplomat, a democrat, an autocrat, an acrobat anda doormat. He must have the facility to entertain prime ministers, princesof industry, pickpockets, gamblers, bookmakers, pirates, philanthropists,popsies and prudes. He must be on both sides of the "political fence" andmust be able to jump or sit on that fence.He should be, or have been a footballer, golfer, bowler, tennis player,cricketer, dart player, sailor, pigeon fancier, motor racer and linguist aswell as have a good knowledge of any other sport involving dice, cards,horse racing and billiards.It is also most useful, as he has sometimes to settle arguments andsquabbles, that he should be a qualified boxer, wrestler, weight lifter,sprinter and peacemaker.He must always look immaculate-when drinking with ladies and gentlemanlisted in the first paragraph, as well as bankers, wankers, theatricals,commercial travelers and company representatives even though he has justmade peace between any of the two, four, six or more of the aforementionedpatrons.

To be successful he must keep the bar full, the rooms full, the store roomfull, the wine cellar full, the customers full and not get full of himself.He must have a staff who is clean, honest, quick workers, quick thinkers,non-drinkers, mathematicians, technicians and at times be on the boss'sside, the customers side and stay on the outside of the bar.To sum up: He must be outside, inside, offside, glorified, sanctified,crucified, stupefied, cross eyed and if he's not the strong silent typethere's always suicide....

You might be in the hotel industry if…………..

You may sit at the same desk for 4 years and worked for 8 different managers, sit at 4 differant desks in 4 differant hotels in 4 years.

Going for cocktails and dinner is” NOT your idea of a nice evening.

When someone asks your exact job profile, you never know how to exactly answer.

You really get excited about 2% pay increase.

You sit in a cubical smaller than your bedroom closet.

It’s dark on your drive to work and when you leave from work.

Communication is something your “Group” is having problem with.

You see a good looking person and you know it’s a visitor/guest.

Food left over from banquets or meeting is your main staple diet.

You forget what you look like in anything but a “suit”.

All the work you where hired to do gets done before 9 and after 5.

You are already late on an assignment you just received.

Your boss’s favorite lines are:
“When you get a minute………...”
“In your spare time…………..….”
“I have an opportunity for you….”

Vacation in something you roll over to next year, if you are allowed.

Change is norm.

Nepotism is encouraged.

Six month is considered to be substantial longevity.

You dial “9” before the number no matter where you are calling from.

When you are walking in public, you have to fight the urge to pick up little scraps of paper and rubbish on the floor.

Your toilet paper at home is folded in triangle on the first sheet.

Your answer on the phone at home “Hello this is…... how may I help you?”

Eating in hotel restaurants are no fun anynore, rather it is more exciting to eat in fast food retaurants.

You inspect your hotel room when traveling.

Most of all, You read this entire list and understand it!

Well thats it for the moment. I wont promise anymore to update, just will do it when I can! Take care everyone.. Happy 2006!

We r in Australia

2005-12-24T19:48:00.000+09:00

Hi there, Well I took some crap from a friend today who lectured me as to the lack of updating on the blog.... and he is right! Again, it is not so much a lack of motivation, but rather the past 5 days we were in the province in Philippines were there is no internet. Now, as it happens we are in Sydney, Australia, about to celebrate Christmas with family here. It will be my first family Christmas since 1999! And for the two of the first time in Australia. Last year was Philippines, and year befor was Dubai! So Dac, sorry mate, will work on it much more ok. We are taking lots of photos, so when we get back to freezing Korea, we will load them up.

So I will summarize, we spent a week in Philippines between the province of Batangas and Manila, where we did a lot of shopping, eating, and hanging out with all our nices and nephews. I love hanging out with all the kids ranging from 2 years old to 12 years. The time went by so fast, but again it was nice to spend time with the family and get away from the freezing cold of Korea. So after a overnight flight from Manila, via Melbourne, we are now at mums in Sydney. It was a scorcher in Sydney today, getting close to 40! We slept a little through the day, some last minute shopping this afternoon, now we are at home wrapping gifts, and relaxing.

Well merry Christmas to all, and hope that I will have some more photos and updates in the mear future. Alohaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

First Snow In Seoul

2005-12-03T23:29:00.000+09:00

Hot of the press - "First Snow in Seoul" Yes folks, here I was complaining to everyone that I had nothing to blog about and suddenly in one day I have two blogs. We heard that it was going to snow today, but you just never know. So around 10pm we stuck our head out the window to see the snow falling. We waited a little while and with the snow still falling we went outside and took some photos! Great ha! We are so excited.

Clariza saw snow on the ground last year in Victoria, but this was the first snow fall. And of course the first time this is right outside our home!

Dont you just love my outfit! Hey there tracksuit pants are confortable! No designer clothes babe!

December is here

2005-12-03T13:28:00.000+09:00

It has been far too long between posts, and I cant tell you how many times over the last few weeks that I have said to myself I need to update the blog! Maybe it is the cold, maybe it is work, maybe I just havent felt there was anything significant to mention! Heck, I dont know.

So let me see.. the last few weeks has seen the temperature significantly drop. I am wearing ski gloves to work every morning as this past week every morning is below zero. I seem to be the only guy wearing gloves, but I dont give a sh..t, at least I feel warmer. Last night I came home around 7.30pm from work an it was so damm cold. When I check the computer it said it was -4! Felt colder! Still waiting for snow in Seoul, but I hear there is a lot of snow in the mountains already.

Work is going great, This past week our Florist Team have been busy putting up all the Christmas decorations, and it is hard to believe but as this is my department also, I am involved in saying what looks good or not! Me and decorations??? Mmmm... is this a new creative side I have not seen before?? In any case the decorations are up around the hotel and they look fantastic. The front of the hotel in the evening looks awesome.

Sadly on Tuesday, one of my staff's mother passed away, and I attended the funeral with a dozen other staff. It was the first time I attended a Korean funeral, and it is very differant from anywhere else. Firstly his mother had passed away in the morning and from the afternoon they rent a room in the hospital where people can come and pay respect to the family. You also give some money to the family. When we arrived we entered a area which is set up as a shrine in respect to the person who has passed away, there is a small prayer, then personal condolence to the fmaily members, then you sit down on the floor in another room and eat and drink. We stayed for about 1 hour. This happens for 3 days, as the family mourns and greets family and friends who come to pay respect.

On Wednesday I ended up havinga very big night. I attend the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Le Clef's Dors Concierge Society of Korea at the Westin Chosun. It was an interesting event with several VIP's, including myself (Dont know why), and we sat and enjoyed speeches, an awards ceremony which included two of my staff receiving full induction into the Le Clef's Dor Society. I was given the honour of pinning their golden keys on their jackets. After the ceremony we had a lovely buffet dinner, then headed out with about 40 attendees including several from our hotel that forced me to go out, and we ended up at a large Kareoke bar where we all sang until almost midnight. Of course up at 630am the next morning I was not feeling that great!

Other than this, we are preparing for our trip to Philippines & Australia. Clariza leaves on Monday for Philippines, and I will leave on the Friday 16th. We will stay in Philippines until the 23rd, then have Christmas and New Year in Sydney with friends and family. We are both so excited, but maybe more excited because we will be going to warmenr places!

So thats all for now.. Will try to get some more updates on including photos. Thanks for watching...

Australia in the World Cup

2005-11-16T22:04:00.000+09:00

YES, after 31 years Australia has finally qualified for the World Cup! You know us aussies are supper patriotic and even though I am not the biggest soccer fan, I am still so happy. It was not covered on TV here, so I had to get live updates thru the internet!

But I guess the ironic thing, and the link to Korea on this is that the coach of the Australian team, Gus Hiddink was the former South Korean coach!

So, after a shitty weekend where we lost the rugby to England, this was a very nice mid-week gift.

Oh, and sorry for no updates on the blog for a while. Just super busy, and to be very honest not that much exciting going on. The weather has dropped to close to zero (0) at night and max 8 - 10 in the day. So I walk to work at 730am freezing my ass off and go into my office to thaw out for 15 minutes. Now I know most people say what is the big deal, but after living in places like Middle East for 3 years, and Hawaii for 8 years, then you understand I am not used to the cold!

Weekend Trip

2005-11-06T13:18:00.000+09:00

So actually two weekends ago I went to an area called Seoraksan National Park with a friend form work and his wife. Clariza was supposed to come but unfortunantly at the 730am start she was just not feeling well at all, so I headed out for what was going to be a very long, but vey nice day.
I figure I will not do much writing in this post as the photos kind of tell a better picture than I could ever describe. But to give a summary I will hit the highlights. It was about a 4 hour drive to get there, and heading through the mountains was extremely beautiful and again I am reminded that Seoul is such a contrast to the real beauty of Korea, which lie's waiting outside the concrete jungle fo the city. I am certain so many people that visit Korea very rarely venture out of Seoul, so I hope these photos give a glimpse as to what is really out there.
When we arrived at the National Park finally we were met by thousands of others who were also taking advantage of the beautiful weather and changing of season. It was nice to have a walk around and capture a look at only a fraction of the park. I have to say if I had more time it would be wonderful to do one of the many hiking trails through the park.
After a wonderful lunch, we walked around a little more, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings, and finally got back in the car for the journey home.

Now if some of you are familiar with the traffic of Korea, then you will undestand how a 4 hour drive one way can be a 7 hour drive on the way back! Yes it took us 7 hours to get home in the worst traffic I have ever been in. At one stage we covered 2 km in 50 minutes! I was going crazy, but it was not so bad. We did stop and have a nice Korean BBQ dinner in a small town on the way back.

We finally got back to Seoul at 11pm in the evening. All I can say is that it was great to get out into the mountains, but the traffic is a killer!

1000 Hits on my site

2005-10-29T17:18:00.000+09:00

I find it hard to believe that 1000 people have made hits and looked at my website! I think though at least 300 is me! Not bad for being in existance for only 4 months.

Yes I know... too long between posts

2005-10-26T08:33:00.000+09:00

It has been so busy of late. The weather is getting colder and I must be moving into that hibernation mood! I have a new boss at work this week, so the entire work place is a little on edge. Also my mother-in-law arrived in Seoul on Sunday evening so we went out to the airport to meet her. All of last week Clariza and I struggled with the first colds of the season, and at the same time were preparing for Inay.
So that's my excuse ok! Other than this life has just been work, and a few dinners with clients and work college's. We were supposed to have dinner at the hotel last night, but I begged Clariza for a home cooked meal after eating the last 4 dinners at the hotel. Yes, its great to eat in the hotel restaurants, but after a while it is just so nice to relax at home with a lovely meal, and watch some TV. Speaking of TV, we have Sky Life. It is a Cable company with 200 Korean channels and about 10 English channels. It gives us most of the stations and programs we want, but at the moment we cant get one of the local channels which is the AFN station (American Armed Forces Network) So you are asking why do you want that station. Well it gets some of the good American shows we like which includes LOST, and Amazing Race. Yes, I admit Clariza and I are addicted to these shows, so now we have engineers from the hotel coming to our apartment to try help us to get the AFN channel. Oh the pleasures of living in Seoul.
Well got to go, and promise some more photos on the next blog. They will be a little old, but I promised I would post them.

Spring Picnic

2005-10-14T10:20:00.000+09:00

As promised in the last entry, I went on the annual Front Office Spring Picnic with half of the Front Office Teams from our two hotels. Because there are almost 150 staff between the two hotels in the Front Office, we split up in to two teams. Team One had their picnic from Monday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon, and second team in this Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon.

So, as planned I was on team one, and at around 1230pm we left the hotel with 70 other staff in two big buses for our 3 hour journey to the west coast of South Korea called Daechun Beach. In traditional Korean style the beers and soju were cracked open the moment the bus left the hotel, all the way to Daechun. I was a great drive, and so nice to be out of Seoul. It is just such a contrast once you get out of the city. We had a few stops on the way for toilet breaks and finally reached the beach around 330pm.

We then checked into a resort hotel complex, with 10 rooms and about 7 to a room. They were apartment style with two bedrooms in each so it was comfortable.

By 4pm we met in the lobby and headed directly to the beach which was a 5 minute walk from the resort. As you can see by the photos it was a vast beach, and as summer is over was not crowded. We then spent the next two hours at the beach playing games, taking photos, and just relaxing. Of course there was a cooler of beer and soju on the side, so spirits were high and everyone was having a great time.

This is a picture of me with two of the doorman from the hotel. Great guys.Me on the beach! Jeans and a Rugby jersey on the beach? Well it was actually cold and the water was about 12 degrees. Nobody swam, though one of the girls was dumped in the water. I think it was payback for something?
Horse & Cart ride along the beach just before sunset. You can see in the background on all the beach shots that the weather on the day was perfect. Even got some colour on my bald head!

Below photo is game that translated into english is something like head in the ass! I just watched, and had a few laughs!

So after the beach at around 6pm we went to a Japanese Restaurant where we had booked the entire top floor. We stayed at the restaurant about two hours and drank a hell of a lot of alcohol, and ate so much food. There was hot dishes and cold dishes, tons of sashimi, and if I didn't mention lots of alcohol. There were speeches, there was singing, there were attempts at dancing, and overall a lot of laughs. The moment we finished dinner we then left the restaurant and headed to a disco which we had reserved exclusively for the staff from 830pm to 11pm. As I am sure you can imagine everyone was already pretty drunk, so the disco was so so much fun. There were beers on every table and the DJ played enough good music to keep the dance floor full for the whole time we were there. Everytime I tried to sit down, I either had to do a drinking game, or was pulled back up to the dance floor. I escaped a few times, but by the time we left I was exhausted. Anyway 11pm, no time to rest, so we spent the next hour walking back to the resort which normally takes 5 minutes, and then we went to a small outdoor restaurant near the hotel where we drank some more and talked until about 1am. I finally dragged myself into bed sometime after that.

This photo below is a few of us the next morning at 9am drinking beers outside a Family Mart. I woke at around 7am to a glorious day and took a walk around the beach. Thank god, no hangover.

This photo was around 10am just before we got back on the bus to leave the resort.

Below is a group shot of everyone on Team One. I know it is not so clear, but hey at least you get a sense of the size of the group. 69 Koreans, One Australian! Outnumbered huh!We then got on the buses and drove about 90 minutes to the Suduck Temple. It is very famous in Korean as it was originally one of the only all female monk temples. It was a very nice walk up the mountain to the temple as you can see from the photos above and below.

After descending from the temple we had lunch together at a traditional Korean Restaurant, had some ice cream, and then got back on the bus for our final trip back to Seoul. Eventually around 5pm we arrived back at the hotel, we all said goodbye, and parted ways until work tomorrow.

It was a really great trip and so nice to spend more time with the teams out of the hotel. This is also partly funded by the hotel, and a very good idea. Now... must get sleep!!!

I love my sleep too!

2005-10-10T10:39:00.000+09:00

Found these pictures below on another blog. Thought they were pretty cool. My weekends are spend with a nice sleep in every Sunday. Got to do it at least once a week.

On Saturday night after a nice evening at Cousin Larry's in Hapgeong, we caught the last subway back to Samseong. My recommendation is dont get the last subway! We knew it was going to be crowded as our station was busy with people, but as the train arrived I could see inside that there was almost no way we were going to fit. But we were not going to give up, so as the doors opened we pushed our way in as did the others behind us, and we then spent the next 40 minutes squashed amongst hundreds of other commuters. It was so crowded that at some stops people just gave up and got off.

Anyway... enjoy your sleep!

I sure hope it is a new shoe! Or is he trying to climb in?

I guess it is more comfortable than the floor!

I cant believe I'm saying this but she actually looks comfortable!

Hasn't your mother always told you "never sleep with a mouthful of food"

I sure hope someone doesnt turn on the heater.

A week passes in seconds

2005-10-08T12:11:00.000+09:00

This past Monday was supposed to be a holiday, but as it so happened the hotel was bursting at the seems, so I had the pleasure of hanging out at work all day! Had a great lunch though in our Marco Polo restaurant in the KITA building next door. Our Chef makes the best Mediterranean food I have had in a long long time. As the restaurant is on the 51st floor, the views are amazing.

Anyway the rest of the week followed suit, busy as hell, and no slowing down. Nice that the hotel is busy after refurbing 12 floors now in the hotel and 16 to go!

Highlights - My bank, down in the COEX shopping centre was Korean First Bank, but overnight it is now Standard & Chartered Bank, with the KFB name stuck in tiny font on the bottom. I had a moment of panic when I went to the bank as saw how the signs had changed, but all the staff are the same.

Highlights - Near the TGIF in the Coex Shopping centre there is a Candy store that also sells foreign goods. Even has Australian Cadbury Chocolate! Also in the basement section of Hyundai Shopping centre they have also set up a little foreign goods section of food.

Clariza and I had a nice dinner in the Grand Kitchen on Thursday evening. This is the buffet restaurant on the B1 level. One of the most extensive buffets around, with a dessert buffet to die for. Love the chocolate fountain! We then went up and met the new Filipino band in the Hunters Tavern. They hadn't started playing yet but went and said hi anyway. Also there is a new Jazz trio in our lobby lounge from South Africa. The guy on the Saxaphone is fantastic. Well worth a visit if your n the neighbourhood.

Ok, its Saturday, and I am resting at home as have a slight headache from a night out with the staff. Korean BBQ house, followed by Noribang! I sang the first two songs before most people got there, so I did my part! Next Monday, we have our annual Spring Picnic for the Front Office Department. Next posting I will give the details, but I think its going to get ugly!!!

Take care everyone!

Night Out with the Ladies!

2005-10-01T13:58:00.000+09:00

Late afternoon yesterday I was invited to a Housekeeping party as one of the ladies was retiring, and one was promoted to a new position in our other hotel.

So I set out in the pouring rain around 630pm to a Korean BBQ place not too far from the hotel. When I entered, our housekeeping team took up the entire restaurant with about 60 staff. So let my paint a picture here, as sorry I have no photos!

Our housekeeping is 90% female staff, with the average age around 50 years old. No I am not joking. Our hotel has been open for 18 years and almost all of them have been here since the beginning.

So I sit on the floor and enjoy a wonderful BBQ Pork Dinner, lots of beer, and thankfully avoided the Soju. The ladies were in great moods, slamming down Soju like water, eating for a tribe, and laughing and shouting as if it were all a comedy show. I have been out with our Front Office team, whom are half their age, and thier parties are more subdued! Then the speeches came, more drinking with every toast, lots of crying for Mrs. Lee's retirement, lots of cheering for Ms. Kim's promotion and I even made a speech that they all just laughed at, as most did not speak English.

I thought we were all done, but I and a few of the other male managers (all Korean) were strong armed by the ladies and taken to the closest Norebang(Kareoke), were I, 4 men, and 30 ladies dance and sang for almost an hour and a half. I begged and pleaded that my voice was never meant for singing, but I had no choice, so I sang a dreadful interpretation of Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton. I was then thrown from lady to lady as their toyboy for three minutes of dancing each!, then finally, someone got smart and said it was time to leave. Dont get me wrong I was laughing so hard and having so much fun. Even when I was dancing with one of the ladies I told her my age and she told me her eldest son was the same age as me! She had a cheeky grin on her face. (God help me, what is she thinking!!)

Anyway, we all left, said goodbye, I trudged off in the pouring rain to my wonderful wife, and the ladies went home to see their husbands, children, and for some, their grandchildren.

I think, seeing these ladies at work will never be the same. And I mean that for the good things. Really though I have so much respect for the ladies whom have worked the majority or all of their lives cleaning rooms 6 days a weeks, then heading home and taking care of their families.

For now.....

News from Australia

2005-09-26T20:42:00.000+09:00

Well it has been a big week in Australia, and in particular Sydney, my home town. And how do I know what is going on, well I read the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper every morning. My day does not start unless I catch the headlines from home. http://www.smh.com.au/

So the first news was the AFL Final. Victory to the Sydney Swans! Yes, it is almost unbelievable since they had never won in over 70 years. I am not the biggest Aussie Rules fan but I have always been a Swans supporter. So I was very excited about the news!
http://media.fairfax.com.au/?rid=16893
I hope it works. It is the final minutes of the game. Gripping to the very end.

And then today I read that Sydney has been Voted for the Worlds best destination for food. Not just food, but culinary delights from some fantastic restaurants. Now anyone from Sydney is saying oh come on, must be better places.... but I don't think so. And it wasn't Aussies that voted on this! Read the article below;
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/09/26/1127586779109.html

Well that's all for now. Speak soon!

Weather is Changing

2005-09-24T11:17:00.000+09:00

After a very hot and humid summer, this week saw lots of rain, followed by cooler weather. It is actually very nice weather at the moment, not hot, not cold. My walk to work at 730am is perfect, but I can only imagine what it will be like in the heart of winter. Their is one street I walk down now when I go to work that has rather a sharp decline. When I walked down it the other day with a friend he was telling me there is know way I will be able to walk down it in winter as it will be so icy and you will just fall over. He said the cars are parking on the hill now, but with great difficulty in the winter, if at all.

Anyway our week has been good, since it was a 4 day work week. Boss is on a business trip, hotel is really busy, and everyone is in a good mood at work. I really like when the hotel is busy and this week has been no exception. The next three weeks we are going to be full, so all hands on deck!

My company, just announced that we will be managing three new InterContinental Hotel Resorts in Thailand. One on PhiPhi Island, on in Phuket, and one of the island of Koh Samui. The owner also owns the Holiday Inn Phi Phi Island where my friend and collegue is GM. This is very exciting news. They should open late 2007! Thailand here I come! (In my dreams). Our company is really on a role in Asia at the moment. In the last few months we have opened hotels in China, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, with so many more to come. This is why I stay in this industry and why I am so glad I am working with this coming. Hoteliers seem to jump ship a lot, but I really want to make my mark with our company.

Clariza finally got a mobile phone in Korea yesterday after dragging my PA out for a few hours to do all the interpreting. I am glad she has a mobile now. Seoul and Korea is a very safe place, but it is comforting to know she has a mobile for emergencies. Clariza has also been exploring the web to try find some courses to do online. We should find something soon.

Well it is Saturday, and I am loving my day off. Tonight we should go out for a nice dinner somewhere. Thanks for keeping in touch.

Desperate Football Fans

2005-09-22T12:45:00.000+09:00

This is great. I was reading through my regular travel emails and this article was in it.

1st Point - Name of Airline Company "Rum Air"

2nd Point - I guess this crew were just trying to give their 289 passengers the best service possible?! right?

Enjoy -

Desperate Football Fans!
Plane makes unauthorised detour to football match A faked fuel emergency allowed an aircraft load of football supporters from Gambia to attend the country’s world youth tournament match in Peru on Tuesday.
A Rum Air plane carrying 289 fans from the West African country made an unauthorised detour to Peru’s northern city of Piura, bypassing immigration formalities in the capital, Lima.The plane landed in time for fans to see the match against Qatar, which their team won 3-1 to reach the quarter finals of the World Under-17 Championship.The phoney emergency alerted fire fighters and police who raced to the airport, while hospitals were told to prepare for possible casualties.A Peruvian airport authority spokeswoman said the plane with 12 crew on board had raised the alarm, saying it did not have enough fuel to fly to Lima and would have to land in Piura instead.Immigration officials there checked documents and the fans went straight to the stadium to see the match.The plane was impounded, but it was not immediately clear what penalties the airline could face.

It's Been too long!

2005-09-19T11:27:00.000+09:00

Since Mum left, our social calendar has dwindled! Sad isn't it, we have more fun we mum is around! You rock mum!
Anyway work has been weeks of budget reviews for 2006 and the hotel has got a lot busier. This is when hotels finally get higher occupancy after a average summer. But then suddenly we are stuck in the middle of the largest three day holiday in Korea called Chusok. Translated it is similar to Thanksgiving. Once Friday hit, there is an exodus from Seoul into the provinces where everyone visits their families and celebrate this period.
We chose to stay in Seoul, and it has been extremely quiet on the roads, the subways, and no work! Fantastic yes!
Friday night, we had dinner at home, then took the subway out to where Clariza's cousin lives, Larry, and we got together had some beers, and chicken. We then all went back to our Villa around midnight.
Saturday we spent the entire morning imprisoned in the Villa as it was raining more than cats and dogs! It bucketed down for hours, so we just relaxed around the house and enjoyed the day off. Finally when the rain let up a little we headed down to the hotel, had some lunch, then back over to Larry's house. We then decided to check out Carrefour at the World Cup Stadium as we had never seen it, and did a little shopping. I picked up a basketball as we have a basketball court close to our house and I need to do some exercise! Ha, we will see! (Did I say that!) Anyway, dinner at Larry's then subway home after watching Le Grande Blue (Great French Movie)
Sunday (Yesterday) Clariza and I lounged around the house all morning, had a nice breakfast and in the afternoon we taxied over to Hyehwa-Dong to join the Batangas-Korea 8th anniversary celebration. The organization had rented out a large bar / restaurant and to sum up the evening it was a hell of a lot of fun, lots of filipino food, heaps and heaps of beer and soju, singing, games, and speeches. I joined the beer drinking contest as any Australian should and came in a close second! I also was asked to do a speech, so spent two minutes talking about the region of Batangas and my experience. I guess as the only non-filipino there it was expected! Oh well, it was a fun night and we bid our farewell around 11pm.
So its now Monday and with another day off for the holiday we are again just relaxing around the house, and should head down to the basketball court in a little while!!! (You think??)

Here is a recent article about Hyehwa where Clariza and I visit every Sunday. Nice article!
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/09/16/200509160025.asp

And here is a better definition I took from the internet on Chusok -

Chusok, the Harvest Moon Festival, has been called Korea's equivalent of the US's Thanksgiving. It's held on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Year, which is usually in September or October by the Western calendar. In 2004, Chusok will take place on the 28th of September.
As with most major Korean holidays, most people travel home to pay their respects to their parents and ancestors, and tend to the gravesites of the dead. At these tombs and burial mounds, Koreans make offerings of new rice, fresh fruit, and other freshly harvested foodstuffs. Special foods for the holiday include songpyon, crescent-shaped (for their similarity to the shape of the moon) rice cakes filled with sesame, chestnut, or red bean paste, and songi (mushrooms).
Like Thanksgiving, Chusok is a time of great feasting. Americans have their football games, and Koreans also have traditional holiday games: Kanggangsuwollae (traditional dance), tug-of-war, and Kobuk-nori (in which two men dress up as a tortoise and go from house to house; each household is expected to give them food and drink). Some people in rural areas still hold to the old custom of climbing the hills and swinging lighted torches in circles to greet the harvest moon.

What a week! Bee Gees Concert, Nanta Show, Itaewon, and Great Food

2005-09-04T10:37:00.000+09:00

I know we struggle to get new updates done on the blog but thanks to a 5 day visit from mum morley there is lots to mention.

Mum came in Tuesday evening and Clariza and I suprised her at the airport. We have a limousine company at the hotel who so very kindly offered to pick up mum for free, so we had a lovely limousine ride back into Seoul and went home.

Wednesday I headed off to work and Clariza and Mum spent the day visiting Namdeamun Markets, a few palaces, and Insa-Dong. Then in the evening the three of us were supposed to go to the BeeGess concert via Robin Gibb, but unfortunantly Clariza ended up with a migraine early evening so it was mum and I to rock on! We teamed up with three other guys from the hotel and went to the concert at the COEX.

I just got to say I am so glad we did not have to pay for the tickets. (Our hotel had the group staying with us) We had in our hand 165,000 Won tickets but we sat in an open convention floor that was not only not carpeted, but we sat on plastic lawn chairs! Man, if I was in Australia paying the price we were paying for the tickets, there would have been a riot!

So the sedated crowd sat for the first hour as we had all predicted and finally when the concert was over, and when the encore began did the crowd finally stand up and begin to boogie! They did about another 5 songs and it was over. It was a fun concert, glad we went, but all of us said we would have never paid that price if we had too.

Thursday, Mum & Clariza shopped all day at the COEX, including some manecures & pedicures! (Oh, the hard life!) and in the evening we ate at our hotels buffet restaurant, the Grand Kitchen. I tell you it has to be the best buffet in town. I know it is my hotel, but still we have eaten at a few buffet restaurants and this is the best by a mile,

Friday, Clariza and Mum did some walking around Gangnam area where the hotel is, COEX mall again, and visited the temple across the road form the COEX InterContinental. In the evening I had a early function to attend at the hotel and then we met up at the COEX InterContiental and had dinner at Asia Live Restaurant. A great restaurant as has a huge menu with Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian dishes.

Saturday, I got to sleep in, and then we headed into Iteawon. Of course we took the subway and in 45 minutes from our station (Samseong) we were there. Actually after being here three months now it was the first time that we actually went to Iteawon during the day time. We started as everyone does at the Hamilton Hotel and worked our way around the streets of Iteawon. We found a few clothing places in the back alleys that had great womens black market clothing and Clariza spent about 100,000 on some great winter jackets that had the cut out Italian labels! We then ate at the Outback SteakHouse, had a great meal, and then walked around a little more.

Now for the expats, especially the Americans and Canadians I found the store that sells all the foreign foods like Pop-Tarts, etc.. If you stand at Hamilton and look across to Burger King, cross over there to the Burger King side and walked down the street that is where burger king is and walk past a few antique stores and after about 250 metres there is a clear glass door with a red painted frame with no sign and you walk in and it is a very small shop with all the stuffs you need.

Anyway we then walked to the main road and took a taxi to the Nanta theatre for our 4pm show. The theatre is very close to the City Hall. Nice theatre, very mixed crowd. We took the 2nd level tickets which were 50,000 won. It was a 90 minute show and was a lot of fun. It was, loud, funny, lots of dancing, performing, heaps of food thrown around, great drum work with all the cutlery etc.. We walked out and all said how much we enjoyed it.

We then walked down to the Seoul City Hall, and onto our most favourite Dim Sum restaurant called Dintaifung. It is only about 6 weeks old and we have eaten there twice. It is a modern Dim Sum concept, dont take reservations, and is a quick meal, but excellent. Again I highly recommend. www.dintaifung.co.kr
Seoul City Hall .. sorry small photoThis is the Dintaifung Restaurant interior. Very modern and open windows to kitchen!

After dinner we took a stroll to the underground shops nearby, and finally took a taxi home.

Sadly we bid mum farewell at 6am this morning as she had a flight to Japan at 9am! We look forward to her coming back so that we can have as much fun again.

Beer Tragedy!

2005-09-04T10:16:00.000+09:00

Damm, thats a lot of broken beer bottles! I reckon right after the accident the driver finally pulled over, jumped out of his truck, looked out over the thousands of broken bottles lying all over the road, walked over to one of the few remaining un-broken bottles, picked it up, opened it, and drank his sorrows away! A loss like this deserves a beer wouldnt you say.

New Orleans Disaster

2005-09-03T21:32:00.000+09:00

Hurricane Katrina!

I think the Hurricane is long gone now, but was has happened since then is the most tragic and devastating thing I have ever seen.................. in America.

Is this a wake up call to the Americans?, or should I say the American Government? I don't know about everyone else, but sitting back watching CNN over the last few days has just overwhelmed me. Bureaucratic runaround, everyone pointing fingers at each other, everyone telling everyone what should have been done, but still nothing is been done. I think they got troops quicker to Iraq than they did to New Orleans.

I just cant understand how the so called most powerful country in the world, can just sit around and watch the devastation unfold right in front of their eyes! And again I direct this to the government. I am sure people all over the USA are sitting back also watching this and I hope also angry about how this is being handled by their government. It sends you to tears seeing these old people and small children just sitting there in the streets with no food, no shelter, no water, and no f....kn safety or security. Sure there are some heroes down there trying to do their best, especially in the hospitals, but why didn't they send the military in earlier????

All I can say is I cant believe this has happened in America, and I hope this is a wake up call to the US government to start taking care of their own rather than everyone else.

I lived in the States for 8 years and so many of my dear friends are American. So I hope they understand my feelings right now is not against the people rather the government and the way this has been handled. I just hope the people of Louisiana are taken care off, are able to go home soon and start re-building their lives. But reality is, life will never be the same for them. I send my sympathy to them and pray for their strength to continue.

Our Wedding Photos

2005-08-28T11:40:00.000+09:00

Ok, so the more you look at our blog the more you see I am moving away from the "Korea Blog" to everything and everything about us, our lives, both past and present. But the main reason for this is, is that Clariza and I have been living overseas for so long so many of our friends are a great distance away. Since our wedding last year we have the endless request for photos, so I have decided to do a posting with several photos of our wedding. We hope that you enjoy.

Our wedding rings on the wedding invitations.

Taken just after exchanging vows in the church

Nice photo of us with our Parents!

Clariza and I with the Morley family

Clariza and I with the entire Endaya family, except Junior who was too shy to be in the shot!

Clariza and I with all of our sponsors.

One of our favourite photos taken near the pool at the Taal Vista Hotel where our reception was.

This is our favourite shot. It is taken in the gardens of the Taal Vist Hotel overlooking the Taal Lake and volcano below us. It is such an amazing view from the gardens of the hotel.

Of course there has to be the cake cutting ceremony. Tasted great!

Left to right; Dad Morley, Leslie Murray, Mum Morley, Brian Murray, Clariza and I in the back.

Great photo of us with Inay & Tatay Endaya on the left, kuya Boyet to Clariza left and other family and friends.

Clariza with some of the sibgle girls for the bouqet throw. And the winner was...... Arah!

The boys surrounded by the garter! And the winner was..... Dave, my brother!

Well everyone out of hundreds of photos at least you have a few of the ones we really like. I hope you like the photos.

Australia Dedication

2005-08-14T10:54:00.000+09:00

I thought to myself that this site has to represent more than just our time in Korea. It is a great way to even set up blogs about the countries we are from, the places we have traveled to and lived etc..

So the first dedication is to Australia. Like most people, I am very patriotic about my country and very proud to be Australian. As I have been very fortunate to travel a lot in my life, I know one of the greatest assets I have in my life is having been born in Australia and carrying our wonderful passport. See, until I went to the Middle East for work, little did I realize the traumas so many people have in traveling the world. Even more so, I had several friends who were Palestinian, and they live with no passport. They often had taken up citizenship in other countries like Jordan and Egypt so they could live with more freedom.

Getting back to Australia, I have decided to make this more of a pictorial rather than my verbal rambling. In time I can expand the amount of photos I put on here and I guess information. I hope that those non-Australians who do visit our site do take the opportunity to visit Australia. It is a magnificent country, with so much to offer, from every corner of the continent. We may only have a population of 20 million, but we sure do kick ass in sports. Enjoy.

Sydney Harbour and the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge that links the north of Sydney and the city.

Sydney Opera House on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour.

Manly Beach. Take a Ferry over from Circular Quay and walk the esplanade to the beach.

The twelve apostle's on the South coast of Victoria. Actually one just fell into the ocean a month ago! About 2 hours drive from Melbourne.

The great Ayers Rock. Located near Alice Springs in the centre of Australia. A historical landmark in Australia, which is sacred grounds for the aboriginals of Australia. Should never be walked on as a sign of respect for the ancestors of this country.

Koala! Beautiful to look at, hard to spot in the wild, and if you get a chance to hold one, do so.

Kangaroo. Are tame in the sanctuary of a zoo, but don't corner one in the wild!

Shopping at Wal-Mart

2005-08-14T10:18:00.000+09:00

Funny enough US giant Wal-Mart has several stores here in Seoul and even Costco is here. Reminds me of my days in Hawaii. So anyway we were shopping yesterday doing our grocery shopping and still buying odds and ends for our new apartment and I have to tell you the funniest thing.

In Wal-Mart and most large grocery shops here in Seoul, they have heaps of display people cooking small amounts of food for people to try, and then push them to buy the product they are displaying. Now in Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon there must be at least 50 displays in the store. Can you see where I am going with this....

Well Clariza went to go buy some extra stuff we had forgot, so I planted myself in one place and was just looking around the place. At first I did not think it was strange that these two older Korean ladies were munching away at some sample cake, but after they had gone past their 10th piece each I started to find this pretty funny. I watched these ladies for almost 10 minutes. After about 5 minutes they casually walked over to a lady giving samples of fruit juice, chugged down a few mouthfuls and then headed back to the cake table. Again they stuffed their mouths with a few more pieces, and then obviously decided it was time to move on. Of course they passed the drinks lady for a few more mouthfuls and moved on. As I do I watched them a bit more as Clariza had not returned and sure enough they parked themselves over at the SPAM table. By the time I had counted their 5th piece Clariza returned and we left. Now this all may sound dull to you, but really it was highly entertaining. I guess these ladies were really getting their money worth in Wal-Mart today!