I love my iPhone. It is the best phone/handheld device that I have ever owned. I still have the 1st generation iPhone, but with constant software updates from Apple and 50,000 applications available from iPhone app developers, there’s always something new and interesting to do with it. The new iPhone 3Gs looks even more incredible. I have particular interest in the new phone’s “touch focus” camera and at last, a camera with video capability. To have a phone, high quality internet browsing, iPod, great low-end camera, and a video camera all in one device would be incredible (I currently have to carry my Korean phone, iPhone, AND my camera just about everywhere I go).

This is why one of my first tasks upon arriving in Korea was to get my iPhone working. I walked into every cell phone store I could find and simply said “SIM card” while pointing at my iPhone. Each representative would respond by crossing their arms and repeatedly saying “no, no, no.”

Finally, after visiting several stores with bilingual friends, I realized I was beating a dead horse.

There seems to be many theories on why the iPhone does not exist in Korea, but I think I have finally gotten to the bottom of this. You cannot have an iPhone in Korea for one main reason – Korean cellular phones are required to use what they call WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability). This has prevented any global competition from interfering with the big domestic hand-phone business in Korea.

For now, I have to deal with carrying 3 devices in my pocket. But, of all three devices, my iPhone is still my favorite. With WIFI everywhere in Korea, I am at times able to get on a network and browse the internet, check my email, or even make calls on my Skype internet phone on my iPhone despite not having cell phone capabilities.

However, there seems to be a glimmer of hope. This past April, the WIPI requirement has been lifted, allowing for other wireless platforms to compete. Apple has received approval from the Korean Communications Commission (KCC) to sell the iPhone 3G in Korea.  It is speculated that both SK Telecom and Korea Telecom (KT) are in talks to with Apple to release the iPhone under their networks. Then again, I have read from numerous sources that the iPhone was supposed to come to Korea last summer, then this past winter, then this past spring. At this point, we can only hope.

I could not stop laughing when I saw this ajushi (Korean for “old man”) on the subway. This man was probably about 60 years old and was passed out with his head down. You see this in Korea everywhere – Koreans who are clueless what the text means in English, but because it’s English, they wear it. Some of the most random stuff. This was the funniest one I’ve seen so far though.

It was sort of a bold move taking a pic of this guy, but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t.

Better angle of the graphic on the hat.

After a day at the COEX Mall in Seoul, a McDonald’s caught the corner of my eye and I had to get a 2 cheeseburger meal.

Here are some tidbits about this McDonald’s-

-you can get a Big Bulgogi Burger which has a different sauce but has 3 buns and 2 hamburgers like a Big Mac… however, a Big Mac is also available

-this restaurant is huge, absolutely humongous…the biggest one that I have ever been to (see video below)

-although I wanted a 2 cheeseburger meal, they only offer a 1 cheeseburger meal

-the cost of my 1 cheeseburger meal with an extra cheeseburger was $6,200 Korean won, which is definately not cheap

-I was the only one in the entire McDonald’s who ordered a bottle of water with my meal (every other Korean restaurant except fast food restaurants provide really good filtered water for free)

-their fries don’t have salt on them

-they have a separate and smaller service counter/pay counter for desserts and coffees (Korean’s love coffee, ice cream, and frozen treats…. there’s a Baskin Robbins every other block of any busy area, just like Starbuck’s)

-items that are the same on the Korean menu as the American menu taste exactly the same

-McDonald’s, which we think of as the largest fast food chain in America (I know Subway technically is, but whatever), KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) actually seems to be the most popular American fast food chain in Korea

Full walk-around of the McDonald’s at Coex Mall in Seoul….

Order/service counter for everything but coffee and desserts….

Order/service counter for desserts and coffee (actually a great idea)

Familiar American brands, some in English… notice Minute Maid is in Korean

As you may know, golf is quite popular in South Korea. Its also extremely expensive. A round of golf in Korea will cost you over $200 US. So for now, I’m limited to periodic visits the Home Plus driving range across the street from me.

Here are some videos of me and Sam hitting balls at the driving range at Home Plus, officially called Golfdom.

We split one of the stalls which cost 16,000 Korean won for 1 hour – somewhat reasonable. Its huge, and its really nice. The bathroom, front desk, communal areas are all top notch.

The automatic ball dispenser saves your back. You’ll notice the backdrop is a huge 2d golf hole – adds to the experience.

Video of me swinging away.

Sam swinging away…. I got up close to the automatic ball dispenser in this video. I don’t know if you can see it, but there are buttons on the machine that let you raise and lower the tee.

Trendy Golfdom bathroom….

Trendy lounge area at Golfdom….

You can get a glimpse of the golf hole backdrop. The pin is in the middle of the silk screen….

Baseball is huge in Korea.  I didn’t even realize until I arrived in Seoul that South Korea won the gold medal for baseball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  The stadium was located only a couple hundred meters away from the subway station. Really nice outdoor field…..

Tickets were only 4,000 Korean won, which is about $3.00 American.  Food and beverages were reasonably priced, just the same as a cheap restaurant in Korea, unlike the US where you get robbed at sporting events.  Another feature I appreciated was the decent audio. They had powerful loudspeakers throughout the stadium. The Korean baseball experience is part baseball game, music concert, comedy show, dance, and game-show all for less $5 US . It was definately one of the better values I’ve come across in Korea. Lots of video’s below…..

Probably the most entertaining baseball game I have ever been to. The place was erupting as Sam and I walked into the stadium. The footage above is what I saw within 5 seconds of walking in.  Korean baseball games are awesome.

I sat on the Doosan Bears side of the stadium, which happened to be the more enthusiastic crowd. The fans were really into the game, and went absolutely berserk when the Bears hit a triple run home run as you can see the clip above.

The Korean cheerleaders were really entertaining. I don’t know how they did it, but they were dancing away for just about half the game. It was  also drizzling a bit, but they seemed unaffected by the cold and the rain.

The video above was one of the more entertaining routines on the stage. When he wasn’t dancing, the male cheerleader above was basically the conductor of the whole Doosan Bears side of the stadium. He yelled, sang, danced, and blew his whistle throughout the game. The ladies went completely nuts for him. He is what girls here in Korea have described to me as ‘Korean style’ and what Korean girls find as the ideal look. Girls here don’t like big muscles and do not tolerate aggressive behavior from guys.

This is the conductor/male cheerleader you saw in the videos above with me in the photo above….

The video above was taken just after the guy cheerleader threw big packs of balloons out to the crowd to blow up and wave on his command.

After only a few minutes, the balloons are popped everywhere or bounced around in the crowd.  In the video above, I told Sam to ‘pop it’ but as you can hear in the clip, he replied as if I had asked him to pop my zit.

Here’s a longer clip of the team’s playing baseball. I actually snuck down to the floor of the stadium and caught some decent footage.

My new friend in Korea giving me a hug….

East Gate entry into COEX Convention Center in Seoul…..

2009 is the inaugeral year for the Seoul Photo Exhibition. My friend Albert had an exhibit there and had graciously given Jenny and me free passes for admission.

Traffic at Seoul Photo 2009……

That’s Borahm (Jenny’s sister), me, and Jenny, left to right standing in front of our friend Albert’s exhibit……

Thats Albert on the left and me on the right of Albert’s favorite photographer…..we’re standing in front of some of his work……

Jenny’s mugshot…..

My mugshot….

An interesting photo….

Another interesting piece…. Jenny and her sister are also in this photo if you look closely….

Some Koreans enjoying Coffee Bean in the shade…..

O’Kim’s brewery inside COEX…..   If this isn’t funny, I don’t know what is…..

Some interesting Korean architecture outside of COEX…

I think I know what I’m going to be for Halloween this year.

Flair is really, really popular at TGI Friday’s in Korea. It seems like they go the extra mile with the flair.

Up charge is the best!!

They offer essentials like burgers, Korean, desserts, ultimates, smoothies, and flings.

Ahhh… now I understand….

The meal I had was pretty tasty. I had a good old fashioned hamburger. I think I got diarrhea from it, but it was worth it.

Amazingly, Friday’s in Korea is immensely popular despite being quite expensive. Just to give you an idea, a bibimbop dinner at a full-service sit down restaurant is 5,000 won, or approximately $3.85 US. A Friday’s steak is around 35,000 won, or approximately $27.00 US. In fact, converted to US dollars (even with a weak Korean won), a steak at a Fridays in Seoul, South Korea is MORE expensive than in the US.  Beef in general is very expensive in Korea.

Most meats have to be imported from New Zealand and Australia, and there just aren’t very many cattle in Korea. I’m told that the cattle grown locally here in Korea are raised with great care, even massaged by farmers. Maybe this is why Korean beef is much more expensive than imported beef.