Before and After

Here's a shot of me on the scale as I leave for my holiday in Canada. In case you can't make it out from the pic, it says 80kgs (176lbs)

The last time I was in Canada, I was there for 6 weeks and put on 6kgs. Now I'm no math wiz but that's close to 1kg per week.

This time I am only going for 3 weeks, so with any luck I will come back weighing 83kgs.

And the souvenirs just keep coming...

Latest additions to the souvenir pile... 5 packs of Korean smokes. These smokes are made by a company called KT&G. It used the be a government-run corporation. Back then it was Korean Tobbaco and Ginseng. It has since been privatized and is now known as, Korea. Tomorrow and Global.

The cost of cigarettes has gone up from less than one dollar (800 won) when i first got here in 1998, to about three dollars (2,500 won) in 2006.

Smoke it up smokers!

More souvenirs...

If you take a close look at the last two posts, you'll notice that the picture, while looking almost the same, is slightly different.

Today's pic has two more types of Korean alcohol: so-ju and mae-sil-ju

Soju is far and away the most consumed alcohol in Korea. It is cheap, packs a good punch, and is available anywhere and anytime. It comes in everything from these handy little plastic bottles and tetra-paks that you see here, to 4L bottles!

The bottles in this pic cost 800 won (about 90 cents Canadian) and will get you nice and tippsy. Two or three and you'll be well on your way.

The soju is about 20% alcohol and the maesilju is about 14%

Holiday Blogging has begun...

Just 2 more days 'til I'm leaving on a jet plane.

I'm hoping to blog everyday while on vacation but I am sure that it won't happen so I am starting a couple of days early...

Here are a few of the souvenirs I'm taking back to Canada with me.

I'm bringing back a sample of each type of Korean beer. And yes, I know that Bud is not a Korean beer.

If I'm missing any that are currently available, please let me know.

Pez Theater: Racism Is No Good

Some people like PEZ maybe a little too much