Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

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 and the weather was improving enough last week was a tremendous change as we again began 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 definitely about to change from winter to spring, winter sends us a week quite cold but the envy of the arrival of spring, and so sent us this week for revenge.

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

So good, we begin the spring and that also means that only a few months and coming home, really fast time passes.

From the first time I came to Korea I heard a lot about the exquisite food and if you enjoyed it enough at the time.

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

Bosintang (보신탕) or dog soup , is very famous, but very secret so to speak. All Koreans know about it, but nobody says you know they sell it here or you can go in this direction, it's kind of a 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 weekly and has a price of 15,000 won (13 USD) per person, a bit expensive for all budgets. The interesting thing is that during the hottest days of the year, usually in summer, this dish is traditional, so they lack the space for restaurants cater to diners.

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 tested because they say it smells bad (which I am not aware at all) .

The soup itself is now consumed by older people, young people the truth is not consumed much by the subject who see dogs as pets, but I have other friends that they love.

My experience

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Well it is a win football or something, is just the answer you give when they ask me Age? 3-0 years will answer.

Three decades of my life, wow have been passed 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 have done, but I say get a summary, fuck 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 would have imagined that my 30s those held in Seoul, but it's interesting that you read this remember that the most important birthday of life, I have held out 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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The day I went to Yongsan Electronic Market spinning saw BOOBIES passing the word on a screen.

I was wondering if I saw it right or wrong, until I realized it was true, the new LG plasma TV is called Xcanvas BoBos , and that's how I promocioban in all screens.

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

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

In one class of books on Korean history, talk a lot about the importance of blood type to the Koreans, the mixtures had during times of war and who lived with Japanese colony.

But I found it 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 the Koreans have enough meaning that blood type you are, to the point that defines your personality believe, for which the Yonsei University did a study and with results interesting.

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

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

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

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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