Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

My family knows I love food with banana : banana chips, banana tortilla, mature cheese , etc..

The other day I thought that nobody here has seen bananas, oritos, green, repeat, and just yesterday walking through Itaewon , I find the sale of bananas in a corner.

The place was a person in Africa, is that there also are known as " plantains "I was mad, not only because they sell here, but for the price equivalent to 2000 w 2 USD, gosh buy a $ 2 slice bananas in Ecuador.

So I buy, I'm waiting to mature a bit more to make me some fried bananas and because some tortillas, and now I can I sell tortillas in the streets of Itaewon .

The other day I try to do something similar with some bananas I had on hand, but the fry were made ​​soup, I almost burned up, left for dessert in the end.

If you've been in the United Estates, the jony, just in New York, you know that there are several places where people from other countries come together, as in the case of Little Italy for Italians, China Town for Chinese, Flushing for Ecuadorians and the Roosevelt for all Latinos

In the Roosevelt can find everything you need in your country, in the case of the Ecuadorian male soap, Quaker Oats, Zhumir, Chicken Gus, manicho, including one million more.

Well here in Seoul, there is also a similar place called Itaewon . Here people of all countries to attend, you can find food from different countries, food, cell phones and feel a little closer to home. The stores are more focused on foreigners and everyone speaks English, which does not happen in the other businesses in Seoul.

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Well after a month, I have thought proper to write a few small suggestions or tips for future students coming to Korea.

This is written based on my experience of being a first month here, if in the coming months I think it deserves an update I will.

1. Passport Photos: In many places you ask for them, and in my case in Ecuador are cheaper photos, so I recommend you bring passport photos.
2. Application for multiple entry: When I did get a visa for one entry to Korea, but here in the immigration office make the change without problems, so you use? because you used when you want to go visit other countries you do not re-enter Korea problem.
3. Change money at the airport: From what I've seen so far, at the airport change is higher than banks in Seoul, so it may recommend that you change your money at the airport, change when the eye was high there, and banks is lower, now do not know.
4. Deodorants: If, as you listen, here there is no deodorant at all stores, what Koreans have told me because of the food and your body does not use them, so well told in the shops are, but that if a price 10 to 15 USD, so I recommend that you bring from home, so bring the ones you like because there is no choice here.

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A month ago I left home to get to Seoul. Things have happened so fast that the truth until a few days ago I realized that we were already a month.

Time has passed very quickly, and only left me 12 months.

I've spent all this time to full, so I have not had much time to write, but I have a lot of posts in the head posts in draft, so these days I'll be a little more free I hope to share with you all .

A hug from a distance.

I leave you with a photo of my co-mastered. More photos on my account with Flickr

Well always heard of the rare and eccentric meals Asians in general, but until it was my turn to try one of these.

Actually I was not prepared for it or anything, just went to train with a Korean friend asked me if I liked the octopus, I said yes, then went to this restaurant for lunch.

Requested dishes and we listed first octopus boil, put the living bone in a pot hiviendo have them a few minutes and cut into pieces and eat it to this very rich truth.

Then he asked for another plate and brought alive with scissors just started to cut into parts, the tentacles were moving and eating has been said, I was cold, I said help yourself, so I grabbed a piece and stated in very but very rich.

Unfortunately I had no camera with me so I could not graphically documenting this, but I assure you again, I really liked.

Here I put some videos very illustrative for the case

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Well I'm on the Amsterdam Airport , the trip was tired but I slept most of the flight.

The internet is not free here costs me about 16 € 24 hours of use, but hey at least it killed all day waiting.

In this day and I have to turn around the airport and not even know where to go.

I share with you some photos inside the airport

Well I started the day going to run like I usually do well here these days.

We went to classes at Seoul Garden Hotel and had one of the best classes so far, "The Age of Informatization & The Role of Government" with Dr. Kyoung Yul Bae a great person who has worked in the field of digitization of Korea. It was he who devised 10 years ago in Seoul through the subway tunnels. For those who do not know the subway in Seoul is the fifth longest in the world.

Dr. "B" as we call it asked told us much about changes in technology and digital that have happened in recent years. His idea is to clear the world must help people live better and make their lives easier, the work in the development of various digital products today showed us his cell phone with the included Digital TV which is very popular in Korea.

1926

They were 3 hours flew by and that I could learn new things and get new ideas for future projects in Ecuador.

After this class we went to lunch Japanese food, Sushi but we thought it was not. It turned out we went to this restaurant where each person gave him vegetables, noodles and meat dishes for the cook oneself. In each position there is a built-in electric kitchen table, with a control in the bottom of it. In the pan-pan is placed giving us water which is boiling and there you put your vegetables and your meat, this meal really super rich, so far has been one of the best. Each prepared their food to taste. At the end of the meal is a soup you also meat if you want to take it.

1946 1954 1974

For the afternoon we had a class with Jiyoung Kim how to survive in Korea, taught us something about how to make sentences in Korean and key phrases to survive in an emergency. Actually I remember very little of the classes is not so easy a language that requires much practice and patience. We were taught how to use the Metro and that night we would come out for a walk and would use it.

After completing this class we went to an area near the center of Seoul and arrived at Son's Home

Son's Home is a house where you can learn something about Korean culture. Family is a mom and 2 daughters who are responsible for each show on this great culture.

Mom taught us to prepare Kimchi is Korean traditional food, this is eaten every day in Korea, is spicy and is based on onion, garlic and chile powder like. This is prepared throughout the year and consumed every day.

1936

We did try the same, spicy but tasty. Then we divided into 2 groups. One was a Korean calligraphy classes and practicing with the second Korean drum.

1942 1992

As you can see in the picture I am in the practice of Korean drum, then I would play to practice calligraphy.

We play in calligraphy writing each name on a blower and draw a picture of some plants.

2016 2022

At the end of this work came the best, we had to dress like Koreans, men with women, here I put the photo of the whole group.

1928 1956
We said goodbye to this nice family and came up with direction to the subway, it would be our great baptism in the same or was going well, or we went wrong, the only thing that could happen is we would come later to the hotel and we were all sleepy, but everything went well and we arrived to the hotel without any problem.

2034 1998 1984

He finished the day, I went to rest early, and when I do not like is taking a lot but we have to rest for another day of classes.

Well finally I'm in Korea.

It's been a super long trip, we left Quito, Ecuador on Friday 26 at 11:00 am and arrived in Seoul on Sunday 28 at 08:50 pm (6:50 in the morning hours of Ecuador)

Everything is fine so far, the only thing is affecting me is the jet lag , but hey I hope the body gradually already acostubre this time change.

It is midnight now, in Ecuador it's almost 11 am on Monday, is over here on Monday.

The people are friendly, very well received. I have not been much yet because the course is all day. Tonight we took a walk near the hotel and we could see something of the reality of Korea.

The per capita income here is 18000 USD per person, an income thing, therefore the cost of living is high. A bottle of water costs the same as a queue 2.50 USD.

The people are very educated on the plane do not put anything but cultural programs and movies everyone sees it, we fell asleep in sleep.

In the coming days we'll be visiting Seoul as part of the course, tomorrow we will have a basic class Koreano order to survive these days around here, not everyone speaks English in stores and it is difficult to be understood to buy or order something.

Hotel rooms are small, really in Ecuador live in a luxury spaces we have.

Age is highly respected people, so that when we were in the opening dinner event for older people sat in the first table, the youngest at the end.

The course can be seen very good and we will remove the air from what we see.

Well I say goodbye to a future day, I left with the official photo of the inauguration of the course. You can find more pictures in the photo section which is on the top of this page.

09h00: Yes, as many of you already know I will be participating in the course of Electronic Government Policy in Seoul, Korea from October 29 to November 16, due to travel I'll be back on 18 November.

1300: Since I am currently in the Guayas Manso, all good so far, the plane looks like it will be comfortable for the 12 hour trip to come, from what I could do is to play on a television for each passenger .

The only setback so far is that our bags are delivered in Korea, so I go touch the clothes I wear for 48 hours, but good so you learn for next time.

13H31: The time and have called for the shipment of the airline, I tried it with my sister that if funciene Ochy Skype and everything works perfectly so we can stay connected.

See you. 'll Post at Madrid until the final victory peers.