There's a New Sheriff in Town...

Since Sunny was running all of her article ideas through me and my fingerprints were all over the posts, anyway, I now have admin privileges and will run the blog almost entirely on my own. This will give Sunny the time to work on the Facebook side of things and work on her other endeavors.
If you want to know  more about something and have it posted here for our archives, as well as any suggestions, let me know and I'll look into it.

Jon

Fun Outside the Box Part 3 (Party Rooms)

Part 3: There and Trashed Again: A Waygook’s Tale (because ‘Party Rooms’ was too difficult to come up with something for…)

Seriously, this article was ready two days ago, but we couldn’t come up with a suitable pun.

Do you like hot tubs? Saunas? Noraebangs? Pool tables? How about having them all in one room? Better yet, with all of your friends, and no one else? Then why not spend the night in a party room!?

The party room is an awesome innovation that gives you and a group of friends a setting outside of the norm in which to hang out and have a good time. Birthdays, anniversaries, office parties, or just because you want to, there are many reasons to try this out at least once.

Mate Hotel is prime as it has a HUGE two-level room complete with Noraebang and a small swimming pool or hot tubs and a terrace. The décor is a little classy and there are prices that will stop your pulse until you factor in the number of people you’re splitting them between. Not EVERY Mate Hotel Party Room is the same (It’s a chain with several locations), so make sure you do your research and know which room you’re getting before you go. No sense bringing your swim suit to a pool table.

Hotel M, near Sungshin, has an even bigger one. Pool table, noraebang, hot tub, lasers. Oh yeah, lasers. Woot.

These are just two options in a giant list of choices. There are bound to be some handy to a good location for you, and also likely that they will match your needs. If you don’t mind the prices, and have the people to make it worth it, go for it. It’s bound to be a memorable night. Be aware that time and numbers are a factor in many of the prices and plan well.

Thus concludes the Three-part series about having fun in Korea that differs from the normal, expected cultural (palaces and teahouses), and counter-cultural (Clubs, Hofs, and PC Rooms). These aren’t the only ways to enjoy yourself in Korea, so if you have anything you’ve done or have heard about, leave it in the comments to share with everyone.

Fun Outside the Box Part 2 (Board Game Cafes)

Part 2: The Fenestration of Smog

I know the title is a bit of a stretch, but we’re working on a theme here…
So as the title shows, we have now left the country setting for a more accessible time out. This is something that Jon loves to do, but Sunny struggles with… the Board Game Café.

This, though its contents are very Western, is very Korean in its execution. These are set up very much like a bar, but the menu has games instead. And instead of Anju (Bar snacks) you get a basket full of ridiculous punishments. The games come from all over the world so, while most are printed out in English, there are a few curve-balls thrown in there, like instructions in German or Scandinavian. If you already know the game, you don’t need those anyway. The places also charge by time, not game, so switch it up as often as you can.
The best places to find them are in University Neighborhoods, like Hongdae, Shinchon, and Kongguk.

Another popular version of this is to go Electronic. They call them “PLS Bangs”, or “Playstation rooms”, but they usually house a variety of game systems, including Wii and Xbox. The beauty of this place is the full variety of games without having to buy the systems or software. If you’d like to have your own personal library of saved games, you only need the memory pack. After that, you can come in and drop in your memory and continue as you like.

For the closet geek, there is even a board game café that specializes in trading, selling and coming together and playing Magic: the Gathering. We won’t say how Jon knows, but the location is a little hard to find, up a side street near Children’s Grand Park. He swears it’s just common knowledge and has no knowledge of the game itself, but he hears is quite nice.

So get your game face on and get ready to roll some dice. Let us know your favorite place to go and maybe you can challenge Jon to Risk sometime, as he claims he is yet, undefeated.

Fun Outside the Box: An Unexpected Pension

So many cultural things to do in this country and so little time… one year for many, to be exact.

But why does have to be cultural? Korea has a lot to offer besides Palaces and Fortresses. I’m not talking about clubs either…

Part One: An Unexpected Pension

Pensions are a great way to get out in the country and enjoy the fresh air (despite the looming threat of yellow dust). They’re basically cabins, often seaside, mountain adjacent, or random-extraordinary-natural-phenomenon next-to.

There are a few catches. One is that you need to prepare and cook your own meals, as well as clean up afterward. The cooking isn’t too bad as it ensures a meal to your liking. Some pensions even offer cooking services. All it costs is a little extra \on and a few drinks with the employee who is servicing you. Sure, they say there is no tipping in Korea, but in this case, there are, and they’re 40 proof.

While you’re there, take in the said natural phenomenon to really get the full experience. Prepare some games for the night, as there tends to be a lack of entertainment outside of what you can provide for yourself.

The other catch is a biggie: They’re difficult to get to. Being out in the country, this should be understood before you even start to plan.

There are some, though, that are accessible with two feet, a heartbeat, and some train fare. Gapyeong, out along the Jungang Line, is host to wonderful Botanical Gardens, Garden of the Morning Calm (See image above). Being stuck in a Mountainous Valley, it is also host to a multitude of Pensions. Some overlook the valley. Some are nearby a babbling brook. A few even host made over Camping Cars as rooms. We stayed one of each, before, so they all come recommended. Just get out at Cheongpyeong Station and there is a shuttle that will take you to the area with all of the pensions, all of which are within walking distance of the gardens.

Be sure to book your trip in advance and plan well. Just showing up doesn’t work out as well as it does with motels. Also, don’t let crappy weather ruin an otherwise peaceful weekend. This is the perfect opportunity for board games, card games and games that end in blissful ignorance and massive headaches.

Make sure to shop well and pack light. It’s a cabin, not the Hilton.

(Not all images are from Gapyeong area, but they are from Korea and there are similar styles near the gardens)

Not Gone... Just Delayed

Sorry to be MIA for so many weeks. It has been a busy time and it’s hard to keep up. Sunny has been working hard on multiple endeavors and Jon has been doing all he could to keep up with his own work and to support her work as well.

All the while Sunny HAS been keeping up with requests and apologizes if she missed you.

Thanks to all of you who have stuck with us during this time and who continue to support us (and believe us, we need it).