Get your directions right!

The internal display screen on my Nurian shattered a few days ago... >_< ....resulting in a trip to the Nurian office, where I was surprised to find pinups of Stephanie's favorite Korean, Hyun Bin. ^^ Never really put the two together (Hyun Bin + electronic dictionary) but hey, celebrity sells! I mean, I for one, now like my Nurian just a skoshi more, and despite the fact that it cost me about a baker's dozen bowls of soondubu jjigae to replace the touch screen, I suppose seeing Hyun Bin hold a Nurian adds some credibility to the brand.

Am I being serious? That is for you to guess and me to know. Stephanie, I thought you'd appreciate these videos...

If Hyun Bin tells you to love the Nurian, you better love the Nurian!


CF Part 1 (Real life situation illustrating how an e-dictionary can come in handy.)


CF Part 2 (Just in case you need a recap.)


I digress.

En route to the office, my buddy took me as far as the subway station, then whipped out the mobile, dialed the office, and handed it over, as part of his new attempt to be "strict" and "decisive." ^^ Well, I, instant master of direction, swear to goodness the Nurian rep told me to get out of Exit 2 and take the 70-1 bus, but KH called back and we ended up taking the 604 bus from Exit 4... sketchy! My Korean, that is. (Note: I was later offered some consolation, as he pointed out the 70-1 bus on the street, and said it was likely that we could have taken it just the same, thank you very much.)

Anyway, drumroll please...

I ate a few clams today! It's not going to be an everyday occurrence, but my tolerance level is improving (granted in small quantities.) ^^



This place had a pretty neat decor - it was covered in bamboo and had an old rustic (though not quite the word I'm going for) charm about it.



I should have guessed off the bat that this was makgeolli (막걸리), but he attempted to trick me into thinking that 1) it was coconut milk and 2) we were supposed to sip it with our spoons. Do I really look that gullible?



Originally not a bit fan of muk (묵), I have to admit it's grown on me since I've been here...



And last but not least... the closer.

The I <3 You People Post ^^

There's nothing more important in this world than relationships, and how you affect the lives of others. I am so thankful to have already been blessed with warmth, care, and joy by the wonderful people around me, some of whom I've only met within the past couple weeks. We encounter a lot of people in our lifetime, and may never cross paths with many ever again. Some situations develop into long lasting friendships, while others help you realize that you can't take the good relationships for granted, because it can be tough to meet good people. I don't tell my family, friends, and acquaintances enough... whether it's because I'm shy, busy, or lazy (^_^;) but I'm truly thankful and lucky to know each and every one of you. \(^_^)/

On that note... happy almost Korean New Year! ^^ This is just another reason I'm so lucky to be living here...

The above photo of the Han River (한강) was taken from this evening's trip to Techno Mart, right off the Line 2 subway at Gangbyeon (강변). Techno Mart is a huge 9 story-ish mall that houses just about everything from underwear to refrigerators, but as the name suggests, is known for its (reportedly 2000+) electronics stores. It's not as vast as Yongsan (용산) but was easier to get to today ^^, and it doesn't hurt that the area hosts a long line of fun and delicious pojangmachas (포장마차), the covered street snack stalls you see in all the Korean dramas. Anyway, thanks to a buddy and our hour and a half of browsing and haggling (admittedly, we didn't quite win at this game), I am now the happy new owner of the Nurian X7. Word to the wise - if you want to get a better price, bring lots of cash!