Can't stand this man. Especially can't stand the sight of his face, which makes the sight of his restaurants doubly infuriating because his face is plastered all over them. I can picture him now, on TV leaning over a bowl of soup and slurping every last ounce, all the while plotted how to overtake the mom-and-pop restaurant he happens to be patronizing that episode, and it sends chills down my spine. His businesses dominate half of Shincheon (near my home) now, which was never much of a scene but at least had some character.
You know what's the worst? Gentrification.I've been here for six years, and if you went to Hongdae, Itaewon, or any of the other places popular with people in their 20s (aside from Gangnam, gross) the ratio of independent restaurants and stores to brand name franchises was pretty favourable. If you go to Hongdae or Itaewon, or even Hoegi, Jongno 3-ga, or basically any formerly fun area in Seoul, it's literally just like walking around an outdoor shopping mall or department store. Everything has been made shiny and bling bling, and is owned by some sort of large company or chaebol or brand.It's miserable. Everything that was neat about Hongdae has been pushed out to Sangsu and Hapjeong, while Hongdae proper is a miserable hell. Itaewon also used to be fantastic for being affordable, interesting, and unique. Now it's just a sterilized tourist trap for locals and visitors alike. Gross.
The worst is 할매순대. Like a cancer.
Quote from: CO2 on July 13, 2016, 02:18:00 pmQuote from: #basedcowboyshirt on July 13, 2016, 02:09:26 pmYou know what's the worst? Gentrification.I've been here for six years, and if you went to Hongdae, Itaewon, or any of the other places popular with people in their 20s (aside from Gangnam, gross) the ratio of independent restaurants and stores to brand name franchises was pretty favourable. If you go to Hongdae or Itaewon, or even Hoegi, Jongno 3-ga, or basically any formerly fun area in Seoul, it's literally just like walking around an outdoor shopping mall or department store. Everything has been made shiny and bling bling, and is owned by some sort of large company or chaebol or brand.It's miserable. Everything that was neat about Hongdae has been pushed out to Sangsu and Hapjeong, while Hongdae proper is a miserable hell. Itaewon also used to be fantastic for being affordable, interesting, and unique. Now it's just a sterilized tourist trap for locals and visitors alike. Gross.When this guy moves in................. ...... God dammit. He has like, 7 (at least) different restaurant chains and when one comes in, you can be sure that there are 6 more coming in the next 18 months. They totally take over the neighbourhood around a subway stop and are always full. They ruin a lot of mom and pop restaurants, you know the people who've been cooking this dish for decades? Now, you get a bunch of 20 year old dipshits cooking from Baek's corporate playbook. Fck Mr. Baek.Can't stand this man. Especially can't stand the sight of his face, which makes the sight of his restaurants doubly infuriating because his face is plastered all over them. I can picture him now, on TV leaning over a bowl of soup and slurping every last ounce, all the while plotted how to overtake the mom-and-pop restaurant he happens to be patronizing that episode, and it sends chills down my spine. His businesses dominate half of Shincheon (near my home) now, which was never much of a scene but at least had some character.
Quote from: #basedcowboyshirt on July 13, 2016, 02:09:26 pmYou know what's the worst? Gentrification.I've been here for six years, and if you went to Hongdae, Itaewon, or any of the other places popular with people in their 20s (aside from Gangnam, gross) the ratio of independent restaurants and stores to brand name franchises was pretty favourable. If you go to Hongdae or Itaewon, or even Hoegi, Jongno 3-ga, or basically any formerly fun area in Seoul, it's literally just like walking around an outdoor shopping mall or department store. Everything has been made shiny and bling bling, and is owned by some sort of large company or chaebol or brand.It's miserable. Everything that was neat about Hongdae has been pushed out to Sangsu and Hapjeong, while Hongdae proper is a miserable hell. Itaewon also used to be fantastic for being affordable, interesting, and unique. Now it's just a sterilized tourist trap for locals and visitors alike. Gross.When this guy moves in................. ...... God dammit. He has like, 7 (at least) different restaurant chains and when one comes in, you can be sure that there are 6 more coming in the next 18 months. They totally take over the neighbourhood around a subway stop and are always full. They ruin a lot of mom and pop restaurants, you know the people who've been cooking this dish for decades? Now, you get a bunch of 20 year old dipshits cooking from Baek's corporate playbook. Fck Mr. Baek.
I have 12 days of camp - 4 hours each day. 48 hours of camp. Is this even normal?
Quote from: #basedcowboyshirt on July 13, 2016, 02:09:26 pmYou know what's the worst? Gentrification.I've been here for six years, and if you went to Hongdae, Itaewon, or any of the other places popular with people in their 20s (aside from Gangnam, gross) the ratio of independent restaurants and stores to brand name franchises was pretty favourable. If you go to Hongdae or Itaewon, or even Hoegi, Jongno 3-ga, or basically any formerly fun area in Seoul, it's literally just like walking around an outdoor shopping mall or department store. Everything has been made shiny and bling bling, and is owned by some sort of large company or chaebol or brand.It's miserable. Everything that was neat about Hongdae has been pushed out to Sangsu and Hapjeong, while Hongdae proper is a miserable hell. Itaewon also used to be fantastic for being affordable, interesting, and unique. Now it's just a sterilized tourist trap for locals and visitors alike. Gross.Indeed. I had a discussion about this with some local artists just the other night. It happens though.The rising rent in Hapjeong is already squeezing people out and we're on schedule to run out of Sangsu in the coming years. Starbucks and The Face Shop just keep on herding people closer and closer to the Han River. Running out of dry land here... Some independent music venues have now jumped across the banks to Mullae.Good news on Itaewon at least is that there's spread there too. All the foreign stuff has migrated northwest and the Korean hipster stuff southeast.A lot of people are heralding Kondae as the next big thing, with its funky container mall, but it strikes me that the forces of gentrification themselves are the very ones fuelling its rise, not artists and indies.At least under the current mayor, gentrification has slowed down somewhat. Much less razing of entire suburbs going on.
I had to do a poo at work today because I ate the school lunch. Why can't they get toilet paper right? Do they think they are saving 100won by buying the Nanuri jumbo roll? I practically had to use half of this roll to get a clean wipe.Now I think I have worked out why some of my students go walking around smelling like shit all day.
Quote from: Savant on July 13, 2016, 04:28:21 pmChefu Baek. Is that the guy who goes around random restaurants and shoves a camera at a bowl of ramyeon that looks like every other bowl of ramyeon. Followed by up-close slurping action that makes the studio audience "oooohhh" about what is only a bowl of ramyeon.The same. The audience-gaspathon program when somebody is doing something utterly banal foodwise, to the amazement of the brainless dollops in the studio. Korean food tv really is horrendous rubbish. He is also the patron at Yesan High School in Chungnam where my Korean friend works. All the teachers were warned that there was nothing illegal allowed to go on at the school because it would affect this brand. Rug wearing pirck!
Chefu Baek. Is that the guy who goes around random restaurants and shoves a camera at a bowl of ramyeon that looks like every other bowl of ramyeon. Followed by up-close slurping action that makes the studio audience "oooohhh" about what is only a bowl of ramyeon.
Quote from: yirgacheffe on July 13, 2016, 12:17:49 pmQuote from: orionchocopie on July 13, 2016, 11:42:57 amQuote from: kimchi_mandu on July 13, 2016, 11:36:27 amQuote from: yirgacheffe on July 13, 2016, 11:26:01 amI wish I could just heavily sedate myself on meds for the rest of the year.Oh god yes.This is weird. I've been here a while, but I have never felt like this. The occasional annoyance, but nothing major.Now I feel exactly like this, and I have noticed a few other people saying the same thing.I feel like it's the beginning of the end and nobody cares anymore, so everything's going downhill (like working conditions). It's very strange.I'm halfway through my third contract, which I know is not as long as some of the veterans on this site, but I've started feeling like this a few months ago. Waking up in the morning has become the worst part of the day. It always was, but now more than ever.Just counting down the days... months... I relate so much to all of this. It's my second year and it is much harder for me this year than it was last year (and last year was a challenge). Getting up in the morning is so hard. I practise positive thinking, go out of my way to do things I like/keep up with my hobbies, plan things for weekends etc, write words of affirmation all over the place, but I'm still drowning in this depressive episode right now. (Didn't help that I was super sick last week and I reacted poorly to the meds, getting a skin rash. Plus I think I have a tummy bug at the moment. *whinge whinge*)I feel less alone. I'm counting the months too
Quote from: orionchocopie on July 13, 2016, 11:42:57 amQuote from: kimchi_mandu on July 13, 2016, 11:36:27 amQuote from: yirgacheffe on July 13, 2016, 11:26:01 amI wish I could just heavily sedate myself on meds for the rest of the year.Oh god yes.This is weird. I've been here a while, but I have never felt like this. The occasional annoyance, but nothing major.Now I feel exactly like this, and I have noticed a few other people saying the same thing.I feel like it's the beginning of the end and nobody cares anymore, so everything's going downhill (like working conditions). It's very strange.I'm halfway through my third contract, which I know is not as long as some of the veterans on this site, but I've started feeling like this a few months ago. Waking up in the morning has become the worst part of the day. It always was, but now more than ever.Just counting down the days... months...
Quote from: kimchi_mandu on July 13, 2016, 11:36:27 amQuote from: yirgacheffe on July 13, 2016, 11:26:01 amI wish I could just heavily sedate myself on meds for the rest of the year.Oh god yes.This is weird. I've been here a while, but I have never felt like this. The occasional annoyance, but nothing major.Now I feel exactly like this, and I have noticed a few other people saying the same thing.I feel like it's the beginning of the end and nobody cares anymore, so everything's going downhill (like working conditions). It's very strange.
Quote from: yirgacheffe on July 13, 2016, 11:26:01 amI wish I could just heavily sedate myself on meds for the rest of the year.Oh god yes.
I wish I could just heavily sedate myself on meds for the rest of the year.
I looked the piece of shit dead in the eye and told the translator to please tell him that if he doesn't tell the truth about what happened I will kill him - KILL HIM. Please make sure you tell him very clearly - I. WILL. KILL. HIM. Complete with strangulation and fist motions.
Quote from: Dave Stepz on July 14, 2016, 07:37:40 amQuote from: Savant on July 13, 2016, 04:28:21 pmChefu Baek. Is that the guy who goes around random restaurants and shoves a camera at a bowl of ramyeon that looks like every other bowl of ramyeon. Followed by up-close slurping action that makes the studio audience "oooohhh" about what is only a bowl of ramyeon.The same. The audience-gaspathon program when somebody is doing something utterly banal foodwise, to the amazement of the brainless dollops in the studio. Korean food tv really is horrendous rubbish. He is also the patron at Yesan High School in Chungnam where my Korean friend works. All the teachers were warned that there was nothing illegal allowed to go on at the school because it would affect this brand. Rug wearing pirck!I think he was on another cooking tv show where he was teaching the guests/hosts how to cook pancakes. Now, it's pancakes; not a 3 course meal using fine ingredients but they were all in awe at his pancake making ability. I think the only Korean cooking show I like is "Celebrity Masterchef" because they have foreigners who cook food other than Korean food, which is what the normal Masterchef Korea is.
I know I've done nothing but share my misfortunes in this thread lately, but here's another:Yesterday I was rear ended while at a dead stop at a red light. The driver got out and immediately started photographing his own car. No word of apology to me, no asking if I was ok, not a word to the car in front of mine which he shunted me into either. I called it before it even happened, something about his face and the fact that he looked about 21 but was driving an expensive SUV - this guy is going to lie and try to blame this on me. Sure enough the insurance guy shows up and speaks English. The piece of shit tells him that I stopped suddenly, hit the car in front of me and then he went into the back of me, due to my sudden stop. Both myself and the car in front had actually been at a dead stop for over a minute, he went into the back of me because he was speeding and on his phone. The insurance guy told me his version of events and asked if there was anything I wanted him to translate to the to other guy. I looked the piece of shit dead in the eye and told the translator to please tell him that if he doesn't tell the truth about what happened I will kill him - KILL HIM. Please make sure you tell him very clearly - I. WILL. KILL. HIM. Complete with strangulation and fist motions. The other guy went and hid out in his car while the insurance dude told me I should calm down.Anyway, the stupid **** had a black box in his car which clearly showed that it was entirely his fault. 'My customer was mistaken with his story'. 'No your customer is a piece of shit.'After driving away he still hadn't uttered a word of apology. This concludes today's woe is me yarn.
Quote from: DLJL on July 14, 2016, 11:09:44 amI know I've done nothing but share my misfortunes in this thread lately, but here's another:Yesterday I was rear ended while at a dead stop at a red light. The driver got out and immediately started photographing his own car. No word of apology to me, no asking if I was ok, not a word to the car in front of mine which he shunted me into either. I called it before it even happened, something about his face and the fact that he looked about 21 but was driving an expensive SUV - this guy is going to lie and try to blame this on me. Sure enough the insurance guy shows up and speaks English. The piece of shit tells him that I stopped suddenly, hit the car in front of me and then he went into the back of me, due to my sudden stop. Both myself and the car in front had actually been at a dead stop for over a minute, he went into the back of me because he was speeding and on his phone. The insurance guy told me his version of events and asked if there was anything I wanted him to translate to the to other guy. I looked the piece of shit dead in the eye and told the translator to please tell him that if he doesn't tell the truth about what happened I will kill him - KILL HIM. Please make sure you tell him very clearly - I. WILL. KILL. HIM. Complete with strangulation and fist motions. The other guy went and hid out in his car while the insurance dude told me I should calm down.Anyway, the stupid **** had a black box in his car which clearly showed that it was entirely his fault. 'My customer was mistaken with his story'. 'No your customer is a piece of shit.'After driving away he still hadn't uttered a word of apology. This concludes today's woe is me yarn.This should be in the happiness thread. I felt great satisfaction reading it.