Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

These past weeks have been crazy, missing only a few days to deliver the first draft of the thesis, and he is mad, the days seem short, when I look at the clock and are 22h00 or 02h00.

The University closes at two in the morning the campus, so until then I can be out there, but I stay low key, and one day I went, I thought it was unique but I found that many students were still studying.

But good among bad nights and early mornings every day, I went out to run a few days in the last week to loosen the muscles, since so much about sitting, it hurts all, but good addition since February and had planned to run the Adidas 10K of MBC Hangang Marathon 2009 with my friend Greg.

This time I can say that the exhaustion of all nights for the thesis did not give me the courage to go for a run, but gradually I got used already, so it was good competition and I have not trained as thoroughly as in the past, I can say that the result has been quite safistactorio.

My last March I made 10k in 50:15, finished at 48:54 today that really left me happy, so good I'm still in the fight to improve my all my time as my promises for 2009 , last year my best 10K was 57:13.

At the end of it also served to remind me though not on the exact date, which was at present in the preparations for the 2009 Las Cruces , which is coming next week, I know it will be a great success more than the previous year but good view over the Internet will play this year to enjoy it again in 2010.

At last the weather has begun to change in Seoul from this week and the temperature reaches 18 degrees, until last week when the temperature was -6 degrees. Although in previous weeks the weather was improving last week was quite a tremendous change as we again begin to feel the cold of winter.

So last week a friend told me that this is the week of "revenge" and said there tell me that, I said what happens is that in Korea there is the belief that when the weather is about to change forever from winter to spring, winter sends us a week but pretty cold by the envy of the arrival of spring, so send us this week for revenge.

Well let me tell you it is true, last week was a terrible cold when we are warm, and already beginning to open all the windows for air, the point that I turn the air conditioning, hehe.

So good, we started the spring and that also means they only months left to go back home, really fast time passes.

From the first time I came to Korea I heard a lot about its exquisite food and if they enjoyed it a lot in that time.

Now much more for every month that I am living here, but something I heard from the first time and had not been able to test was the famous " Dog Soup . "

Bosintang (보신탕) or dog soup , is very famous, but also very secret so to speak. All Koreans know it, but nobody says you know they sell here or you can go in this direction is a kind of myth but very real.

The breed of dog that is used for this soup is special, is raised specifically for consumption. There is a soup that is consumed every week since it has a price of 15,000 Won (13 dollars) per person, a bit expensive for all budgets. The interesting thing about this is that during the hottest days of the year, often in summer, this dish is traditional, so the restaurants will need space to serve the people.

When I asked many colleagues and friends about the famous soup, all have told me they have heard of it, one or two have tried, others have not tried because they say it smells bad (not that I know all) .

The soup itself is now consumed by older people, young people the truth not widely consumed by the topic see dogs as pets, but I have other friends who love it.

My experience

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The post title reminds me of the movie 007 " licensed to kill ", but hey, in the end the only one who can die here I am.

After five weeks of mandatory for the doctor yesterday gave me the okay to return to jogging yeah!

The pain he had in recent weeks was the one condition in the knee called iliotibial band syndrome in English known as Iliotibial band syndrome .

As it turns out is a fairly common condition in runners, and for that I am more relaxed. The recommendation that the doctor has given me is that these weeks will increase the mileage slowly, little by little, and to devote more time to warm up and stretch.

So good today at last, I go running alone, but with a temperature of -10 C, I went for a jog of 30 minutes, a little discomfort, but with stretching exercises passed without problem. I set my timer to zero, but before doing so I checked the totals of last year and it was interesting results:

• Calories 6500
• Route: 1140 km
• Exercises: 166

If you've spent a lot of soles last year, so let's see as we travel this year.

The competition schedule in Seoul starting on 1 March, so there is still time to get in shape.

Dear family, friends and acquaintances

My best wishes for a good year for you and your loved ones. From Seoul I send a big hug and tonight they are the 12 brindaré for all of you, and will enjoy this cake for you.

For people who might read my post last year on promises for 2008 I can say that I feel quite satisfied with what I have succeeded in achieving most of them, here is an account of them:

• M3 Renarcer study (still in it, has not been easy, but right now)

• Quitting smoking (99% achieved, takes a 1% already get over it in 2009)

• Losing weight (achieved)

• Improve my physical state (achieved)

• Participate in athletic contests in May and ends (made in the following competencies: 10KM Otavalo, 10 km Circuit de las Cruces Basin, 15km Quito Ultimas Noticias, Quito Half Marathon 15 KM, 10KM Nike Human Race - Seoul JoongAng Marathon 42Km - Seoul World 30Km Cup Stadium and 10 km under 10 below zero)

• Participating in a competition of adventure and finish (not successful at all)

• Start my masters (I'm doing it for six months in Seoul)

As you can see I have achieved most of them, so I can say that it was a good year for the next few days will settle the goals to overcome in 2009.

A hug

HAPPY YEAR 2009 dammit!!

Well not a win of football or something, is simply give the answer when I ask how old? 3-0 years I will respond.

Three decades of my life, wow have happened in the blink of an eye, but at the same time there have been many but so many things, good and bad, one or another evil thing I've made, but I get a summary, damn 30 years well spent! I'm not complaining.

The other day I read the post I wrote while serving 29 years , the truth, I never imagined that my 30s those held in Seoul, but it is interesting that when reading this remember that the most important birthday of life, I have held off home.

My 18's celebrated in Quito, a few weeks of having arrived , my 21 in New York during a stint with the Yankees, the 25 in Quito again, and now 30 in Seoul.

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Well a few weeks ago the idea of writing a post to help migrants with the use of tools available on the internet, but I really think this may also be useful post for exchange students, frequent travelers, backpackers, people who one way or another want to be in touch with loved ones and acquaintances, even within the same country.

I hope these tips can help you, if you have any other suggestions, send me a e-mail for inclusion.

This is written based on my experience when I travel out, and some new things I've ever met in recent months in Korea.

Blog
You think of more interesting things to be traveling is you want to tell everything you do and shows off everything you do, at least that is my where, so recommend you open your blog.

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Good preparation for the marathon on November 2, Sunday morning competition will be participating in The Human Race , organized by NIKE worldwide.

This one million athletes participating in 25 world capitals, my number is 0820251, and here in Seoul are enrolled twenty thousand athletes.

In recent days by mail I received the jersey corresponding to the chip and the band " Live Strong "and will run in the race for the founding of Lance Armstrong fighting cancer.

It seemed like a good initiative in this race and the support they gave to other institutions as well, because not to support Lance Armstrong .

We'll see what tomorrow's going in my release skills on the streets of Seoul, unfortunately the equipment supply is not here, hahaha.

The day I went to Yongsan Electronic Market spinning saw BoBos to pass the word on a screen.

I kept thinking if I saw it good or bad, until I realized it was true, the new LG plasma TV is called Xcanvas BoBos , and that's how promocioban on all screens.

With that name does not enter the Latin American market, we see that change.

Arriving in Korea seemed normal that I ask during medical examinations and in some papers my blood type, but then gradually it seemed a little strange that most times I keep asking.

In a book of lectures on Korean history, talk a lot about the importance of blood type for Koreans, the mixtures had during times of war and lived with Japanese colony.

But I found most strange that when we went to U-Park to go in there gave us a card and asked us to ask our data on blood type.

Since the passage of days, I learned that Koreans have enough meaning that blood type you are, to the point that they believe that define your personality, for which the Yonsei University did a study and some results interesting.

In the case of U-Park the idea is that as you know which personality type you have (in theory) creates a profile for you according to your preferences during the visit.

I asked several people their blood type and the truth in many cases coincided, mine is O, you think that defines me as I am?

Now try you, here you can find the information . Available in Spanish as well.