Movie: "The Amazing Spiderman" tops the Korean box office!

Korea Herald reported that “The Amazing Spider-Man” topped the Korean box office with some 1.69 million tickets sold at the weekend.

This puts it ahead of “The Avengers,” which sold 1.60 million tickets on its release in April. “The Amazing Spider-Man” made up 71.4 percent of ticket sales, showing at more than 1,100 theaters.

“The Concubine,” which has sold 2.45 million tickets since June 6, was second. It recorded 122,703 tickets over the weekend.

“Madagascar3: Europe’s Most Wanted” ranked third with 120,476 tickets, and “All About My Wife” was fourth.

In the first half of the year, Korean films, such as “Architecture 101,” “All About My Wife,” and “Dancing Queen,” took high places at the box office. However, ticket sales of Korean movies lost ground in the face of Hollywood blockbusters such as “The Avengers” and “Man in Black3.”

Korean films are expected to face tough competition from Hollywood films this month as the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises,” directed by Christopher Nolan, is set to be released on July 17.

Source: Korea Herald

Lychee Season in Pakistan

Pakistan has all sorts of fruits available the year round. Lychee is one of them. It is being sold in every nook and corner from early June to mid August. You can find its freshly pressed juice, smoothies etc. in the season very easily. I personally like to peal and munch.

Pakistani lychees tastes great and also smells great. However, the variety available in Pakistan has a really thin pulp and a really big seed in a ratio of 25:75. Moreover, lychee is being sold attached to its large branches and a lot of leaves that means if you buy a kilogram almost half of it is waste composed of branches/leaves. It is selling for 2USD per kilo or about 180 local Pakistan rupee or 2,000 won only. Dirt cheap!

I think that our lychee growers should have used a good quality of seed among the various varieties of lychee available. I was amazed to see that Bengali lychee which has 75%pulp and 25% seed  - a complete opposite of Pakistani lychee but since I've not tasted it yet so I can not further compare.

In Korea if you have visited Seafood Ocean, a Korean restaurant, then the buffet does offer lychee from Thailand in eat as much as you can option. Try this place once if you are in Korea, I'm sure you will like it.  It can be listed in Halal restaurants of Korea with a huge variety on their menu in buffet for 30USD including VAT.

A very informative website on lychee is HERE to dig deeper.

Mohammad Hanif's Article on Ziaul Haq

........................................Muhammad Hanif writes about General Ziaul Haq -  third military dictator of Pakistan, that he is still alive after all these years in different shapes and forms. Zia is very famous for Islamization of Pakistan but not many people in Pakistan know that he was one of the main characters of "Black September" that killed an estimated 5,000-75,000 Palestinians to restore the monarchy of King Hussian of Jordan.
For his services in Jordan, Bhutto promoted him and made him the Chief of Army Staff and within a year Zia staged a coup d'etat against Bhutto. Zia later led America's war in Afghanistan against the Soviets which which he marketed in Pakistan and the Muslim world as Jihad against the infidels. In reality it was actually a master plan of  Charlie Wilson's. (For more read George Crile's  book: Charlie Wilson's War (2003), a New York Times best-seller).

When the last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan in February 1989, Wilson was invited to celebrate at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. On a large movie screen in an auditorium flashed a huge quotation from Pakistan's president at the time, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq: "Charlie did it." The Soviet Union collapsed two years later. So this is Zia in brief.

I think Muhammad Hanif has written one of the most honest and hard - hitting article on General Zia who slowly poisoned the entire Pakistan. No wonder when one ethnic group kills another or one sect or one religious groups persecutes another - all I can think of is Zia's era. Hanif puts it beautifully .....


اگر یہ بچوں کی کہانی ہوتی تو ہم یہاں پر کہہ سکتے تھے کہ پس ثابت ہوا کہ ظلم کو دوام نہیں، ظالم کو کوئی اچھے لفظوں

  میں یاد نہیں رکھتا اپنے آپکو خدا سمجھنے والے ریت کے بت ہوتے ہیں۔ تاریخ سب سے بڑی منصف ہے اور اُسکی کی سب سے بڑی سزا یہ ہے کہ وہ آپ کا نام نشان مٹا دیتی ہے۔ دیکھو، دیکھو کیا عبرت کا نشان ہے کہ جس شخص نے پوری قوم کو ٹکٹکی پر لٹکایا۔ آئین کو کاغذ کا چیتھڑا بتایا....... جو اپنے لوگوں کو غلام بنا کر افغانستان، بھارتی پنجاب اور کشمیر کو آزاد کرانے چلا جس نے اپنی طمع کو اللہ کا قانون قرار دیا اور اللہ کے قانون کو گلی گلی بدنام کیا۔ آج اس کا نام بھی بھلا دیا گیا۔

 
He further says:

ضیاء کسی انسان کا نام ہوتا تو شاید ہم بھول گئے ہوتے، لیکن وہ ایک سوچ کا نام تھا، فکر کا نام تھا۔ یا یوں کہیے ایک وبا کا نام تھا جو ہمارے خون میں سراعیت کر گئی اور ہمیں پتہ بھی نہ چلا۔
جب بھی کبھی ’زندہ ہے بھٹو زندہ ہے‘ کا نعرہ سنتا ہوں تو جی چاہتا ہے کہ ان دیوانوں کو سمجھاؤں کہ نہیں بھٹو پھانسی پر جھول گیا آؤ تمہیں دکھاتا ہوں کہ کون زندہ ہے۔ دیکھوں تمھاری سڑکوں، چوکوں پر، تمہاری ریڈیائی لہروں پر، تمہارے موبائل فون کی رِنگ ٹون میں، جدھر دیکھو، جدھر سنو، ضیاء زندہ ہے۔

وہ زندہ ہے ہمارے بچوں کو پڑھائی جانے والی کتابوں میں، ان کو سنائی جانے والی لوریوں میں، ہمارے آئین میں، قانون میں، اس قانون کی حفاظت کرنے والوں کے ضمیر میں، اس قانون کو اللہ کا قانون بنانے کا وعدہ کرنے والے کے دماغ میں۔ وہ زندہ ہے مسجدوں میں پھٹنے والے سرفروش نوجوانوں کے دلوں میں، وہ زندہ ہے ٹی وی کے ڈراموں میں، ٹی وی ٹاک شو کے میزبانوں میں، ہمارے حلق سے نکلی جعلی عربی آوازوں میں، وہ زندہ ہے حجابوں میں، نقابوں میں، ہیروئین کی دولت سے بنے محلوں میں، لگثرری عمروں میں، حرام کو حلال کرتے بینک اکاؤنٹوں میں۔ 


وہ زندہ ہے شادی پہ چلائی جانے والی کلاشنکوف کی آواز میں، وہ چھپا ہے ہر اُس چوک پہ جہاں ستر سالہ بڑھیا بھیک مانگتی ہے اور آپکو حاجی صاحب کہہ کر پکارتی ہے۔ وہ زندہ ہے ہر اس پولیس والے کے سوال میں جب وہ کہتا ہے نکاح نامہ کہاں ہے۔ وہ اپنا خراج مانگتا ہے جب کہتا ہے کہ دوسروں کو کافر 
قرار نہیں دوگے تو شناختی کارڈ نہیں ملے گا۔

وہ زندہ ہے اور آسیہ بی بی کی کال کوٹھڑی کا پہرے دار ہے۔ وہ ہر احمدی، ہر شیعہ، ہر ہندو، ہر عیسائی کے سر پہ لٹکی تلوار ہے۔

وہ زندہ ہے ہمارے سیاسی ڈھانچے میں، ہماری چادر اور چار دیواری میں، ہمارے احتساب میں، ہمارے مثبت نتائج میں، ہمارے نظام مصطفیٰ کی تلاش میں، ہمارے امتِ مسلمہ کے خواب میں، وہ زندہ ہے ہمارے ہر عذاب میں۔

جب احمد پور شرقیہ کے چنی گوٹھ چوک پر ہزاروں لوگ اکھٹے ہوتے ہیں اور ایک ملنگ پر تیل چھڑکنا شروع کرتے ہیں تو وہ اس ہجوم میں شامل ہر شخص کے دل میں زندہ ہے۔ جب ملنگ کو آگ لگائی جاتی ہے اور وہ چیختا ہے تو لوگوں

 کی سفاکانہ خاموشی میں سے یہی آواز آتی ہے۔ دیکھو میں زندہ ہوں۔

You can read the original article by Muhammad Hanif of the fame of " A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008) "  at BBC Urdu here in a better/clearer format.

Guest House in Seoul: Accommodation for 10 USD/night

If you are looking for housing in Seoul and you are on a budget or if you are a student then check the following website:

This link has a very good list of guest houses  starting from 10USD/night, so click here .

I will add up to this myself but if you know any useful website either in English or in Korean then please do share.

My post on Hasukjib accommodation is here.

My post on various types of accommodation options for students in particular and short term travelers to Seoul is here.

Twitter Picture about English Grammar in a Japanese Class

다음 문장을 과거형으로 바꾸시오( Change the sentence into simple past tense).

;-)

Kids are so funny and creative.

Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF) July 18 -22,2012

A scene from the animated film: Wild Life

Some 300 animated films, diverse cartoon exhibitions and business workshops for anime-artists are to take place in Seoul this month, offering entertainment for viewers and market opportunities for artists.

The annual Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF) opens on July 18 in several locations in Seoul, the festival’s organizing committee announced last week.

The festival this year is divided into three different parts:
Cartoon exhibitions, animated film festival, and Seoul Promotion Plan (SPP) -  a series of business workshops for local animated filmmakers and cartoon artists who are looking for business opportunities overseas.

This year’s film festival is opening with Spanish director Ignacio Ferreras’ award-winning feature-length film, “Wrinkles.” The 2011 piece tells the story of two aged men, Emilio and Miguel, living in a nursing home. The film begins as Emilio, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer, arrives in the care home and is greeted by Miguel and other colleagues.

For this year’s competition section, a total of 1,362 films were submitted from 45 countries. Among them, 154 films have been selected including five feature-length productions.

Director Yeun Sang-ho’s sensational debut “The King of Pigs,” which was invited to a non-competition section of this year’s Cannes, is among the five films in the competition section. The vicious middle school flick is recognized for its raw portrayal of bullying, violence and systemic poverty.

Director Lee Dae-hee’s “Padak,” also in the competition section, depicts the journey of a fish who ends up in a water tank of a sashimi restaurant.

Other must-sees include Canadian directors Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby’s short film “Wild Life”; Czech director Tomas Lunak’s horror “Alois Nebel”; and French directors David Alaux and Eric Tosti’ s allegorical film “The Jungle Bunch -- Back to the Ice Floe.”

The SICAF 2012 exhibitions will consist of a series of educational programs for all generations, including a special exhibition on legendary SF cartoonist Kim San-ho and his works; an exhibition featuring a set of baseball-themed cartoons released in the past 30 years; and a show dedicated to American cartoonist Jim Davis’ famous cat character Garfield.

Some of its education programs include animated filmmakers Kim Seon-ah and Park Se-hee’s special lecture titled “Producing Animated Feature A to Z,” where aspiring animated filmmakers can learn about the process of making a film, from pre-production to distribution.

Vietnamese-American animator Mike Nguyen, who worked as a supervising animator on Warner Bros’ “The Iron Giant,” will also give a lecture on how to apply time affects to animated films.

Local animators and cartoonists will find the festival’s SPP helpful, where they’ll have a chance to network with international buyers, listen to business conferences, and attend one-on-one session with marketing advisors for tips and the latest animation market trends.

The animated film festival will be held at CGV Myeongdong and AniCinema, while exhibitions and business workshops will take place in COEX D Hall, Exhibition Hall and COEX Conference Center.

SICAF runs from July 18 to 22. Tickets range from 3,000 won to 8,000 won for cartoon exhibitions, and 4,000 won to 5,000 won for film screenings. For more information and the full line-up of the films, visit www.sicaf.org.

Source: Korea Herald 

How to Find Your Lost Mobile Phone in Korea!

I think mobile phones (also known as hand phone in Korea) are one such gadget that get lost easily. If you own a mobile phone than most probably you will make it to the list of people who lost a mobile phone too. I've lost 2 mobile/cell/hand phones and never got them back because I did NOT know that there is a service that help you locate and find your mobile phone. At other times, people who find your mobile/cell /hand phone can contact you to meet up at a place to return your phone, this happens too.

What to do if you lost your mobile phone in a coffee shop, subway, restroom etc in Seoul/Korea?

Well, a few organizations (below) have joined hands to help you solve your problem.

Korea Association for ICT (KAIT) promotions is running a "lost mobile phone management service"  in collaboration with major mobile network operators and the Korea Postal Department for an efficient management of national telecom resource and in nurturing the healthy telecom culture.

To benefit from this service you have to register at a Mobile Phone Lost and Found Center. Try at least and I'm sure you will be lucky enough to find it because many people already have.

For details click HERE.

Free Korean Classes at Seoul Global Center

If you are new to Korea and think that learning Korean will make your life easier than how about registering at the FREE classes by Seoul Global Center (SGC). It is first come first served.

* Length of this Korean Language course is 12 weeks starting from Sept and ending in November.

*Class size:15-20

*How to apply: Visit SGC in person 

*For more information visit SGC website.

* A new source of Korean - English Dictionary, do check it out here!

Entrance to Ancient Timbuktu Mosque Distoryed

It is a sad day today because the militants in Mali have just destroyed the door to the entrance of the Sidi Yahya mosque , a 15th century mosque, in Timbuktu (also called Tombouctou), a city we knew because of this rhyme...chul meray matkay tombouctou, kahan ki burhiya, kahan ka tou?)  "they tore the sacred door off which we never open," said a resident.

It is said that they came with pick-axes, they cried 'Allah Akbar ' and broke the door. It is very serious. Some of the people watching began crying. No doubt about it.

A man, a relative of a local imam (religious leader), said he had spoken to Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) who have gone on a rampage destroying cultural treasures after occupying the town for three months.

I think that people like these, the religious zealots, have become a cancer of the society. Muslim countries have created their own enemies within their own borders and amongst its own people. A lot has to do with the policies that governments of many of the Islamic countries pursued for years and now it is backfiring.

Source: Here
Read more here.

Minimum Wage for 2013 in South Korea

Source: OECD Minimum Wage Database

The Minimum Wage Act was implemented in 1988 and has applied to all workers since November 2000 except family businesses that hire only family members, domestic workers and seamen. There is one unified national statutory minimum wage. For security guards and other intermittent workers, a sub-minimum rate of 90% is applied. This figure is adjusted annually. 

In Korea the minimum wage is determined by the Ministry of Employment and Labour (MOEL) based on recommendations from the Minimum Wage Council, an institution set up to deliberate on the minimum wage. The council is a kind of tripartite body which is composed of representatives from labour, management and public interest (mainly academics). 

The minimum hourly wage for 2012 is 4,580 won, about 4 US dollars. Yonhap, the official news agency in Korea reported that a trilateral council on Saturday agreed to raise the country's minimum wage by 6.1 percent to 4,860 won ($4.24) per hour next year.

Representatives of the Minimum Wage Council reached the deal in a 10-8 vote with 9 abstentions at the end of overnight negotiations, the council said.

The decision will increase the monthly salary of those who work 40 hours a week to 1.02 million won ($889), according to the council. It is expected to benefit roughly 2.58 million workers in the country struggling with low income, it added.

Initially, the labor circle demanded a 22.3 percent increase from this year's 4,580 won, while the management proposed a 3.4 percent hike.

Eight of the council's nine members representing employers abstained from voting after the government representatives of the 27-member council proposed a hike of minimum 5.5 percent and maximum 6.7 percent.

Employers quickly expressed their dismay with the decision.

"We cannot help but express grave concerns over the decision, which lacks any consideration for the country's small and medium-sized businesses that are struggling against worsening economic conditions and rising costs," the Korea Employers Federation said in a released statement.

The employers' group claimed the minimum wage hike will cost an additional 1.4 trillion won a year for all businesses with more than 30 employees.

"Such a steep rise of the minimum wage despite worsening economic conditions will hamper business activities by small and medium-sized enterprises, which in turn will seriously threaten job opportunities for the poor," it said.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is scheduled to fix the minimum wage by Aug. 5 after announcing details of the agreement next week. (Yonhap)

It is said that  19,518 cases of violation of the Minimum Wage Act were found in 2011, only 11 cases were brought into legal proceedings. Most of them were concluded with minor, if not symbolic, punitive measures such as the administrative request for ‘correction measures’. The penalty is so low that violating the law is often cheaper than compliance.

Source: Korea Times and Yonhap

BBC URDU: Grammatically Wrong Urdu

BBC Urdu used to have very high standard a few years ago. Their team included famous writers, poets, intellectuals and journalists but now, that has not been the case. I often hear funny pronunciations of the national language of Pakistan, Urdu and not just that one woman newscaster even changed the grammatical structure of the sentence to object-subject verb - can you believe it? Me neither!

Today's entertainment headline says here about the seperation of Tom Cruise and Katie Holms: "Tom Cruise aur Katie Holmes talaq lay rahay hain"
...this sentence gives an impression that both are divorcing each other but the fact is Katie Holmes filed for a divorce on Friday. Correct Urdu version of the headlines could have been: Tom Cruise aur Katie Holmes main talqa ho rahi hai.

I guess BBC Urdu must get a professional Urdu language editor to have the news correctly written in a well deserved manner. A foreign friend who is studying Urdu was quite confused especially if it comes from organizations such as BBC Urdu.

K-Food (A glimpse at Korea's Epic Meals)Crab Stew

Crab Stew

Kimchi Chigae

Sea Food Stew prepared for me by my host family (Ms. L is one of the best housewives I've come across)

Doushirak Lunch

Kalbi+Samgyeopsal

Fruit Dessert by my incredible host family

Prawn Pasta with mixed vegetables

Bikini to Burquini

Burqini n. [Blend of burqa and bikini.] is a swimsuit that conforms to Islamic dress code, particularly one that covers the entire body, except the face, hands, and feet.

Burqini has made quite a stir when Nicole Kidman and a famous British chef Nigella Lawson were spotted wearing the full-body suit for nonreligious reasons. Inspired by these trendsetting celebs, here are five reasons to don a burqini (and don't fret French women, since it doesn't cover the face I doubt it's included in the French burqa ban).

• It protects your entire body from the sun, which is why Lawson and Nicole Kidman wear the suit.
• Feeling bloated? Not ready for bikini season? The burqini covers any and all unsightly bumps and bulges.
• If you're trying not to be recognized by the paparazzi or an ex-boyfriend, pair the burqini with sunglasses and a hat for an incognito beach or pool outing.
• You can be a modest role model for skimpy-bikini-wearing tweens.
• It's timeless — you can wear it for years to come.

Source: Read here.

McChicken @McDonald's Islamabad (Pakistan): A Bastardized Version of a Burger

Even the packing is not made in Pakistan, all packages had Arabic on them instead of Urdu

What is popular as a burger these days used to be a bun-kebab for decades in Pakistan when not many knew of McDonald's even in the US. McDonald's has come a long way and has presence in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Rwanda and Burundi. Pakistan is also in the list (nothing to be proud of though).

Despite all controversies, these fast food chains have survived. Actually flourished and they are very popular with children and young people around the world. I will also add students because it is one of the cheapest meals you can get in many of the European or North American countries where a proper meal costs more than what McDonald's charge. It is a budget meal indeed and many a times, it is a food for low-income families in OECD countries.

I have to confess that it is addictive however, at McDonald's Pakistan (in Islamabad )- get ready to have the worst burger of your life. I'd no choice but to buy one during my stay and I regret it and my advice is: please if you have to eat a burger, get a bun-kebab instead or get anything but DO NOT EAT AT McDONALD'S (F-9, Islamabad). I opted for McChicken (take out) and the rest was nothing short of a nightmare.

First, price tag is heavy in a country like Pakistan where it starts at about 5USD with NO DOLLAR MEAL which is being offered in the US. My question is, we beat the bush about poverty and a dollar a day income levels of a large number of people in this region so how come we do NOT offer a dollar meal in Pakistan (and other such countries) and why???

Chicken patty was ridiculously thin with no taste

Second, quality of the McChicken is substandard and it's nutritional value is vague compared to the international standard McChickens at McDonald's elsewhere such as Sweden, France, USA, Canada, Korea, China, Japan and the West Indies to name a few places where I tried it) Pakistani McDonald's bun as we call it or the sandwich was stale and it smelled old and super dry. On top, it had no lettuce or pickle inside it but simply a patty slapped with mayonnaise and a cheese slice - there you go, try lovin it!!. The patty was ridiculously thin and insipid and wasn't fried properly - it was chicken mixed with God knows what and it did NOT tasted as chicken at all, with 70% of batter and breadcrumbs that were the actual taste of it and 30% chicken with other ingredients was quite a shock and a disaster for me. Come'on, not in Pakistan was my first thought - a country where a kilogram of chicken boneless sells for 2USD, 500gm Mayonnaise sells for 80 cents and a cheese pack of 12 slices sells for 1.2USD. I had high expectation for all these reasons but I was too naive. Before choosing an awful burger my advice is: think before you eat. Please.

I have spent a whole week living under a dollar a day in Islamabad (this deserves a separate post) and I assure you that I didn't missed a thing when it comes to food in my dollar a day budget: I'd cherries, strawberries, mangoes, yogurt, milk, bread and pretty much everything I wanted to eat. I fail to understand why people in Pakistan wanna eat a low quality McDonald's burger starting at Rs.435/- (about 5USD) when they have so many great choices. Last time, we went to Marriott for a dinner - it cost me Rs.2000 for 3 persons with great service, ambiance and really great food that was served. Now, if I have to decipher it at McDonald's then for the same money that is Rs. 2000, all one will get is 4 substandard burgers. Viola!

If one would ask me where to eat in Pakistan then I will highly recommended eateries known amongst labors, bus drivers etc. called dhabas or roadside restaurants that sell mouth watering, finger licking full meal set that includes a curry platter, salad and chapattis right out of the tandoors for merely Rs.45 or 50 cents. If we bring it down to local burgers we have really fantastic choices by these nameless, small shops or stalls making great burgers that can compete with any foreign franchise...so why these stupid Mc burgers?

I don't think that I'd ever eat at McDonald's of Pakistan but I'll continue to explore them elsewhere around the world. At the same time, I'm happy that I tried McChicken only to know what crap is being served in McDonald's franchise of Pakistan which if tested overseas will surely turn out to be of a dubious quality. I fall sick with it and I'll never recommend anybody to visit F-9 McDonald's. At the same time, I feel pity for all those families who were munching on it quite happily not knowing what they were eating.

I have to make a confession that I'm fine eating McDonald's once in a while but my first ever experience in Pakistan left a very, very bad taste in my mouth. I wanted to complain and tried their website and it was equally lame. There is no number where I can register my complain or ask for a refund.

McDonald's Pakistan can do a better job and for the sake of Pakistani children I strongly believe that the patty and the buns - both should go through high/intense quality control before it is served to our kids and the rest.

Dance and Music Concert for Foreigners in Seoul, Korea

Korea Foundation's Summer Concert is scheduledtoday and tomorrow (22 and 23 June).
Usually such a concert would cost you between 20 dollars to 40 dollars which is offered for free. For more information click HERE.
The venue is Namsan Theater, Namsangol.
Do NOT miss!

Meet Saudi Arabia's Culture and Life Style at Korea Foundation Seoul

South Korea and Saudi Arabia have a relationship that spans over 50 years. Saudi Arabia is the third largest trading partner of South Korea after China and USA. In commemoration of that Korea Foundation Cultural Center is holding an exhibit that will display Saudi traditional lifestyle or let us say Bedouin life style and how Korea is complementing in it through its technology and innovation.

Get a taste of Saudi Arabia without leaving Korea at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center (2F).

Display: 20th. - 26th. June 2012.
How to get there:click the picture above.
For more info. call:(02)2151-6520 or email:kfcenter@kf.or.kr

Hasukjib: Accomodation for Students in Seoul (Korea)

If you are you a foreign student coming to Seoul for the first time to study here and do NOT have an accommodation then how about considering to live in a Hasukjib. Hasukjib is a traditional Korean boarding house, popular among college/university students for their cheap monthly rent and less deposit or simply no deposit/key money option. Hasukjibs are ubiquitous in university neighborhoods and one such famous spot is Sinchon where Yonsei, Sogang, Ehwa and Hongik universities are at a walking distance from each other and has a student population of roughly 200,000 but since these student's and their network and former alumnus also gather there hence Sichon must have no less than quarter of a million people at any given time. So anyways, Hasukjibs are run by an Ajumma (middle-aged women) and sometimes an Ajushi(the Ajumma's husband) or both - who are usually the owners and take care of you during your stay from preparing meals and helping with homework.

(UPDATE on  HOMESTAY - April 2014): Stay is with a Korean grandfather and grandmother visit this post  and contact the email for details. Female students are preferred since other residents are all females).

 A cheap hasuk starts with 275USD or 275,000 won a month with different size of rooms from really spacious to really small, windowless bedroom with barely a space to stand. They are  usually equipped with desk, bookshelf, cable TV, a small refrigerator, and free internet. There is not much space in the rooms but  it varies from location to rate of the room.

Breakfast and dinner are served quite frequently with weekend BBQs but if you wanna have 3 meals or no meal or do your own cooking then they can arrange for that too with extra charges.

Your mates can be Korean and foreign students. I have personally never lived in a hasuk but some friends of mine from Germany, Canada and Japan have stayed in Hasuks and when I visited them, I kind of liked the environment except one of the hasuks.

Since many foreigners do NOT know Korean and thus can NOT visit Korean language forums therefore they miss out on a lot of good opportunities for accommodation but what is available in English forums is not very bad either.

I think that living in a hasuk is a very unique and interesting experience and if you do not have many options then this is a cheap and safe choice.

I did a comprehensive post last year on accommodation in Seoul with a listing of  few choices so check it out HERE if you are looking for a place to stay in Seoul.

For those interested to know about Goshiwon (고시원), it is quite similar to a jail cell with no windows and every window, no matter how small adds 50-100USD in your rent but still people live there and I wonder what sort of psychological and health hazards it leaves on people for years to come. Anyhow, an ALL ENGLISH WEBSITE for Goshiwon and Hasukjib hiring is HERE and HERE (gosi1.net).
 Try  this website (Goshipages.com) for both Hasukjib and gosiwon search - besides English it is also available in:

• 한국어
• 中文(繁體)
• 中文(简体)
• 日本語

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photocredits@ A Hasukjib  in Sindorim where a friend stayed for a while.

From Stockholm to Seoul

(Stuffed) Princess Pippi

Souvenir from Sweden (a tray).

My halal kebab wrap at a Moroccan restaurant

Much discounted stuff sold in trucks /farmer market style

Farmers Market in Vallinjby (near Stockholm).

The Store

Cheese Variety in Stockholm made me very happy!

Lemons and Lime in Stockholm's Grocery Store

Cinnamon rolls in Stockholm

Bulgogi at Insadong (Not a good experience and over priced).

Kimbab

Street Food Kiosk at Seoul Station

Mr. Kim's organic farm's produce )did you noticed cilantro/coriander?)

Feng Sui (风水), Geomancy (ふうすい) or Phung-su (풍수)

Korea Times published a very interesting article by Janet Shin on 'How to Live Healthy' and you can read it here. It mainly focuses on giving importance to and being aware of the external environment around our homes. Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3000 years ago in China based on Taoist principles. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.Yin and Yang as well as 5 fengsui elements such as wood, fire, earth, metal and water are the basis of it.
Janet wrote that:
 " ... it is better to be aware of them than to be ignorant. It is a matter of how you develop your powers of awareness. It would be ideal if you could repel the harmful elements perfectly. If not, you should learn how to live wisely with them.Buildings are more harmful than other objects. The larger and sharper the buildings are, the more misfortune you will suffer. Tall and hostile buildings facing your front door hurt most. Those who live in this circumstance are more likely to experience distress and tragic consequences, so you should try to avoid them or learn effective ways to neutralize those destructive energies. "
She further wrote that:
" There are productive feng shui cures to dissolve an unfriendly environment. Depending on specific circumstances, you need wisdom to choose the most appropriate measures. Metallic or wooden fences are often used to block killer energy aimed at your house. Shrubs may protect your house from an unfriendly environment."

Wood can shield your place from poisonous causes, such as rocks, concrete and walls. Metal can hinder any harmful energy from plants or other structures in green or blue. Fountains can also be used to neutralize killing energy from angular or triangular shapes. Fire energy comes from those pointed shapes and the water element can reduce their perniciousness. "

Some of the important colors of Feng shui are:

• Color Green: excellent for improving health and balancing family life when used in  your home.
  
• Color Blue is a very good feng shui choice to support the energy of your carrier growth
• Have some strong Yellow leads to happy gatherings and good times.
  
• Pure White  will bring supportive energy for all your creative endeavors.

Before using specific colors, study the light patterns throughout the day in the room.

Personally, I think that neighborhoods and houses were much more wisely built in olden days than now. I still remember, how much a south-facing, brightly lit house was my other;s preference. Her priority was that it should be properly ventilated. All houses whether in an urban or a rural locale - used to have yards, plants, trees, small kitchen gardens, terraces but when I look at architecture, the aesthetics are gone - huge concrete structures with rooms upon rooms, and no sense /awareness of imprortance of bright and well ventilated rooms is more prevalent.

I still remember when I did a research project on Phugsu-jiri (풍수 지리) or geomancy with respect to burials in Korea - the importance of it and extreme care to even minute details with respect to burying the dead. So whether living or dead geomancy is a very important fact of life or even after-life...

YOUTH CAMP FOR ASIA’s FUTURE 2012 (South Korea)

A golden opportunity for Pakistani Youth to experience Korea. If selected everything from round trip airfare tickets, accommodation, meals, and transportation will be paid by the Korean government. For more information contact the Embassy of Republic of South Korea in Pakistan and also visit the MOFAT website here.

If you’re between 18 to 24 years old, you can join the Youth Camp hosted by the Ministry of Gender and Equality of South Korea. 

The Youth Camp will be held in Seoul, Yeosu and Jeju from August 6 to 20 this year. 

Application is only until June 15. Seven participants from each of the following countries will be chosen:

Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia.

Slogan: “Asian Youth, Stay in Touch with Korea”

Period: August 6-20, 2012

Venues: Seoul, Yeosu, Jeju Islands

Sponsorship: Round-trip flight ticket, accommodation, meal, transportation and program

expenses

Main activities: Welcome ceremony, Korean cultural lessons and experience, cultural exchanges, teamwork activities, farewell ceremony.

Host: Ministry of Gender Equality & Family, Republic of Korea (MOGEF)

Organizer: National Council of Youth Organizations in Korea (NCYOK)

1. Youth born between 1988 and 1994.

2. Proficient in English communication

3. Interested in international relations or Korea

4. Priority will be given to applicants who:

a. Have no previous visit experience to Korea;

b. Have achieved award/s from any contest related to Korea;

c. Have studied Korean/Korean studies (or in a related field);

d. With a letter of recommendation from the relevant HoD ; and

e.An ability to present a traditional performance on stage.