On the Wall

I am flying to the US today. I don't know exactly when, but I will be back in Korea before long. In any case, here's one more picture for the time being.

By the way, I think it was fitting that I ran out of toilet paper this morning.

Snow Melting on Bamboo Leaves

First Snow

We had our first real snowfall here in Korea yesterday. The temperature changes conspired to layer freezing rain and snow late in the afternoon and into the night. The result was a very slippery morning. But, by this afternoon the sun was out and some of the snow and ice had begun to melt. I took this picture of the snow melting on a bridge during my afternoon break today.

Across the Street

These are the buildings across the street from my building.

Don't Sweat It...

This is Pocari Sweat. My brother believes it is the finest ion supply beverage Asia has to offer. I tend to agree.

A Sign for Everything

So many streets in Korea look like this - signs on every building going several stories up. It can take a sharp eye to find what you are looking for.

Another Streetlight

I know I have done something like this before, but I am always interested by the jumbled wires that zigzag from building to building and converge under the orange streetlights of my neighborhood. I'm just trying to find the image that captures it.

Empty Subway

Apartment Buildings

Apartment buildings of this style are very, very common in Gyeonggi-do (the province in which I live).

Snowflakes on the Side of a Building

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone back in the US is having a great Thanksgiving! Also, Happy Birthday Pepere!

This picture is a recent self-portrait I took while walking through a park. There I am, right in the middle.

Christmas Lights So Soon?

The Department Store near my apartment already has its Christmas lights up. Another year has gone by all too quick.

The Sun About to Go Down Over Anyang

Shoe Fly

This is what happens when you sit on a park bench long enough on a Saturday afternoon. By the way - Alice, thank you for the new shoes!

Into the Night

It's Friday night. After five long days surrounded by kids, Friday night is always a welcome time of relaxation. It's a cold Friday night and I'm off to meet Alice.

Guest Photographer: Alice

Alice recently got a new camera and has been taking a lot of pictures. Here are a few of her most recent images!

Buildings in Seoul

A Busy Street

This street is about a three minute walk from my apartment. Alice and I had lunch in a restaurant on the top floor of the CGV building this afternoon.

Roof Detail

Restaurant on the Mountain.

My Dad and I passed this restaurant on our walk down the mountain. I think the man standing outside is the owner.

A Statue of Buddha

Another picture from the temple on Sam Seong San.

The Temple on the Mountain

My Father and I came across this temple on our hike up Sam Seong San (Three Sages Mountain). It had a very authentic atmosphere.

Climbing in the Fog

My Dad was in Korea this past weekend. On Saturday, we went for a hike on a mountain not far from my apartment. I originally wanted to see some Buddhist Temples that are on the mountain, but once we hiked past the first one the plan changed. It was so foggy that we didn't know we had reached the summit until we were about 50 feet away. These pictures are from the top.

Streaks of Light

I'm not usually a fan of accidental pictures of the night, but this one from my walk home last night had an interesting effect. On a related note, I think its time for me to buy a tripod. Any recommendations?

Leaving Work

I took this picture not far from my school after I left work this afternoon.

Busy Bee

As I was walking through Seoul last weekend, I came across a large display of flowers in Seoul Plaza. Despite the fall temperatures, the flowers were alive, looked fresh, and had several bees buzzing around. I stopped for a minute and flashed a few pictures.

N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower, atop Namsan Mountain in Central Seoul, is one of the most famous pieces of architecture in Seoul's skyline.

Cheonggyecheon

Cheonggyecheon is a stream running through Downtown Seoul. The stream was at one point so run-down that the city had it covered over with a highway. A few years ago while South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was still mayor of Seoul, he began the project that restored the river. Now, there are almost always crowds of people walking along the stream.

An Office Building Reflecting The Sun

Seoul Station

I went into Seoul on Saturday to get my camera's sensor cleaned. Alice helped me find a repair shop and gave me prefect directions to get there. The repair man - who operated out of a small, one-room office - listened to my problem, took the lens off, cleaned the sensor, and put the lens back on in about two minutes. When I asked him how much I owed him he said: "No charge. If this camera breaks, bring it back to me, then I will charge you." I immediately went outside and was very pleased to see that the dust spots were gone. I spent the next 5 hours walking around Central Seoul taking pictures, eventually meeting up with Alice.

Above is a picture I took in Seoul Station shortly after my camera was fixed. I have no idea why the entire place was empty.

Painters

One of the apartment buildings in my neighborhood was painted this weekend. As far as I could tell these were the only two guys on the job. They would secure their ropes somewhere on the roof, sit on their wooden seats, and repel down to paint. In this picture they are painting around the 10th floor of the 12-story building.

Azalea

Anyang From The River

The Building of Doors

A while ago I came across a university in Seoul that had covered one of its buildings with old doors. Unfortunately I was only able to take pictures with my cell phone.

Weekend

After a long week, Alice and I went out for a few beers on Friday night. She took this picture of me.

Behind the Forbidden City

This is the wall at the rear of the Forbidden City. If you look closely, you can see the crowds spilling out.

The Temple of Heaven

I really liked the architecture of this temple in Beijing. It was also one of the least crowded tourist spots we came across - something that was really refreshing.

Temple Roofs

Taken at the Lama Temple in Beijing. After a black and white image yesterday, I though I would go for something with a little color today.

Inside the Forbidden City

This was the only place inside the Forbidden City where there wasn't a crowd.

Fog Over the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the home of Chinese Emperors from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty - a period of roughly 500 years. There are almost a thousand rooms within.

Flashback: China 2009

Sorry about all of the flashbacks! My camera has what appears to be dust or dried water droplets on the sensor and I have been getting small gray spots on some of my images. I have also been going through a lot of my old pictures lately, and I thought I would put some up while I wait to get my camera fixed.

During the summer of 2009, I met my Mother, Father, and Brother in Beijing for a week. We saw Tienanmen Square, The Forbidden Palace, the Beijing Zoo, a few temples, an acrobat show, and (of course) the Great Wall. Needless to say, it was quite a trip.

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the Great Wall. I will be putting up China pictures for the next few days.

The Subway After Leaving Anyang Station

My Neighborhood at Eye Level

My building is at the end of the road, on the right side.

Flashback: Busan, 14 August 2009

Last summer my friends Roy and Rossco came over to Asia for two weeks. During that time we traveled through Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka in Japan and Busan, Yongin, and Seoul in Korea. One night, after more than a few beers in downtown Busan, we decided it would be a good idea to take a taxi to the beach rather than to our hotel. We arrived just as the sun was coming up, and I took my only picture of the night - this one.

Gostop

Alice told me these three men appear to be playing Gostop, a Korean card game. The fourth is sitting alone looking out over the water. There were several other groups of men gathered in close clusters nearby. Most were either playing the game, or watching others play. They all seemed to be very focused on what they were doing.

Apartments on the River

This is the river I usually run along. I took this picture on one of my days off last week.

Inside the Kangchon Train Station

The station was made of cement and most of the walls were covered with graffiti. I'm not sure if this was purposefully allowed to give the place some color but it was interesting to look at.