Some people, no manners

Some good news today as I received an important package from home in double quick time and also got my Chuseok gift from my workplace. The gift was probably better than last years one and whatever I got I wouldn't have complained. I'm a guest in this country and my employers don't have to give me a gift whenever it's a big local holiday.

However, two things have been on my mind today. Yesterday one of my co-workers had her bike stolen. It wasn't even hers, someone had loaned it to her. It was stolen from work, well inside the building but in a main area on the first floor near the lift. This is where the students leave their bikes before going to our academy, it's also where I leave mine when I take it to work. Someone nabbed it, we don't know who but probably not a student as the crime doesn't fit with the students who we were teaching yesterday and I don't think they could actually carry the bike any distance. It was locked up and whoever took it will need to break that lock, clearly not a young student.

So who took it? Could have been workers nearby, could have been older students using a close by PC room. Perhaps some random opportunist theif. We just don't know and probably never will do. I've heard of bikes being stolen here before but in general things are still much, much safer and crime free than life back home, and that's coming from someone who has been burgled here. Hopefully my bike won't get nicked, it's old enough and wouldn't pass for being worthy of taken I feel.

The other thing was when I was in Homeplus this afternoon waiting in line to get served. Someone was in front of me and I was waiting for my turn and as that person was finishing up, some young girl pulled up beside me and just pushed her way past me. The rudest thing I've seen here in ages. I was incensed and nearly walked out of the shop as the server did nothing. I cursed my lack of command of the Korean language. I should have told the girl she was in the wrong but it would only have caused a scene.

I was annoyed because this thing hasn't happened to me in months and months. You can see this quite often if you look for it but this was just so blatantly rude it really affected me for a while. Sometimes my wife (who IS Korean) and I despair at the lack of manners of some people. I just wish my wife had been there at the time to give this girl an ear bashing. Did she do it because I wasn't Korean or would she have done that to anyone? I have my doubts as to whether or not she'd do that to a Korean who was older. Sometimes this country just gets to you no matter how long you've been here or how much you like the place and the people. It's one thing having an old woman push past you but some snotty little teenage girl. It won't happen again.

Some Seoul pictures

How to get 5% free

Today I bought some triangle gimbap (small triangle shaped rice filled with assorted ingredients in the middle and wrapped in seaweed) at a local convenience store. After buying the food I was given two orange drinks as service. It started me thinking about how many free things I've got from stores in Korea


Service is very common in Korea when you buy things from a shop or a restaurant especially if you are a regular or a high spending customer. 'Service' means something else extra for free, like a gift. If you go to a supermarket here you can always find products taped to other things bundled as service. Such things don't seem to happen much in the UK. Promotions and sales happen a lot but I don't remember getting many free things.


On closer inspection, and taste, my free juice is only 5% juice and 95% water and flavouring. My co-worker said, 5% is better than 0%. Depends on what the 95% is I guess.

A small difference in culture

A simple, random observation from the past week of life being different here in Korea from back home. Surely this is constitutes as some kind of fail? Shopkeepers doing this would be cutting their throats in the UK but it is not so uncommon out here. However there is an alarming rate of small companies and shops that go out of business quickly.

Coffee and gambling

In the Venetian Macau, hotel/casino/resort/shopping mall. Having a quick coffee to keep me sharp before heading off to the casino. Doubt that I will spend much and instead just enjoy the atmosphere. This place is huge and easy to get lost in. Here's hoping I don't get lost when the rush of gambling takes hold and I end up a winner at blackjack or the slots. Viva Las Venetian.