The Island of Mr. Sang

I like watching cooking and travel shows. In the last year or so I started watching Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations. I had only seen episodes form the latest seasons, couldn't find a good torrent to download. Last week I found a good one on Pirate Bay with season 1-5.

I started watching Season 1 this week. Tonight I got to Episode 4 entitled "Vietnam, The Island of Mr. Sang." It sounded intriguing. Usually the titles just state the country being visited. This one was unusual.

It had all the standard No Reservations things. Bourdain partaking of the local cuisine and alcohol. He went to a Montangard village. It ended with him taking a boat to the Island of Mr. Sang in Ha Long Bay.

It started with him on a boat sailing to the island. His guide and crew were there as well as several guys in suits who were there because? We weren't quite sure.

When he arrived at the island it was like a scene out of James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. Basically it was a new resort that the government wanted free advertising for on his show. The resort didn't disappoint.

If I ever get to Vietnam I want to go to the Island of Mr. Sang!

Telemarketers

Is there anyone more hated than a telemarketer? Living in Korea I got to miss out on these assholes. Mind you there was still the text message spam.

Today I got to experience something new with telemarketers. They have got rid of the live person. You get a phone call that tells you to hold on for an important message. The message is their pitch.

What a bunch of lazy fucking bastards. It isn't bad enough you call and bother people at home. Now you have to automate it At least before their was a person to tell to fuck off. Now it is just a useless machine calling for your useless service.

Then you have the great do not call list. The Canadian government set up a list of numbers that telemarketers are not allowed to call. However you can still get calls from Canadian registered charities; Political parties, riding associations and candidates; and Newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.

Also, telemarketing calls from organizations with whom you have an existing business relationship are also exempt. You are considered to have an existing business relationship with a telemarketer if you:

Purchased, leased, or rented a product or service in the last eighteen (18) months from the telemarketer;

Have a written contract with the telemarketer for a service that is still in effect or expired within the last eighteen (18) months; and/or Asked a telemarketer about a product or service within the last six (6) months.

Telemarketers may also call you if you have provided express consent to be called. Express consent includes:

Your permission on a written form, electronic form, or an online form; or

Your verbal permission.

The last one is a fucking HUGE fucking joke. I once worked for a Funeral Home, yes a Funeral Home. The boss took great pleasure in telling me that we didn't do cold calls and that he had helped change the law so cold calling was illegal. A cold call is when you call someone you have had no contact with, for example you go to the phone book and take numbers to call. We would go to home shows and things like and set up a booth. The company had contests. People would fill out a form for the contest and we would use that information to call them. There was a box to tick if you did not want to be contacted. Most people ticked it. We were told to ignore that.

One day my boss gave me a list of phone numbers to call. I asked where they were from, a no no. He said it didn't matter just call them.

And what do I do if they complain and/or ask where I got their number from? He said just tell them that they must have filled out one of the contest forms at a function. Or a friend or family member filled one out in their name. If they wanted to see the form we were to make one. But hey, we didn't do cold calling according to him. (They were still using forms that had been filled out years before too. When things were slow the boss would recirculate them.)

Using that trick telemarketers can, and probably do, easily ignore the do not call list. What a waste.

Backyard

One of my brothers has the GREATEST backyard I have ever been in. Mostly in part due to his wife, my sister-in-law, but don't tell him that. She is fantastic. My brother had their backyard leveled and she took care of setting it up and decorating.

I was lucky enough to house sit for them and got to spend a few days enjoying their backyard. Mom gave them some awesome solar powered lights They really enhanced their yard at night.

My ... our ... backyard needs a lot of work. A lot. I have done some. Jill, my sister-in-law helped me out a bit today. She brought some hastas (sp?) and helped transplant them. I got some solar powered lights. The yard is starting to look good. And at night with the lights on ... damn. Nice.

If I stay home I will be doing a lot of work in the back yard. If I don't I still will because I want it there when I come back. :)

After a hot sunny day there is nothing quite like relaxing in your back yard with a cool drink. Often accompanied by a cigar.

TV News

I don't usually watch the news anymore. It is usually a bunch of sensational crap. I turned the news on at lunch time today and was greeted with the perfect example of what is wrong with the news.

The top story was the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and new problems coming up. The second story ... Lindsay Lohan will be going to jail. What the f ... errr kimchi .... er maple syrup?!?!?

Some dumb self destructive bitch like Lindsay Lohan rates almost as high as the disaster in the Gulf? This is part of what is wrong with society not just the news. We waste so much time on idiots like Lohan and not on what matters.

The news people need to get their priorities together. Mind you so do the viewers. Stop accepting drek and BS.

Addendum July 21, 2010.

A new story is dominating the headlines in Canada and it exemplifies what I was complaining about. Conrad Black is out on bail. Oh calloo callay, oh fractious day. Life can now go on because this rich fucking asshole is now free on bail. Everything had halted in the world until this news was delivered. Clinton announced new sanctions against North Korea, astronomers have found a monster star, a jet hit turbulence that left 21 people dead ... but that is not as important as conrad Black being released on bail. Fucking morons.

Summer nights

What a beautiful night out. Today was a scorcher. Ok, not by Korean standards but by Maritime standards. It was about 30 at the hottest but probably averaged 27-28 celsius. In Korea that would be what late spring? :)

I really enjoy having a backyard. One of my brother's has a fantastic one. Since I left Canada I found myself enjoying the backyard more than before. Probably because of a lack of one in Korea.

Once the day starts to cool off it is nice to have a place to go and sit. Have a good cigar. Just relax. (It would be easier to relax if the neighbours dogs weren't so yappy but that is another story.) The parks in Cheongju are nice but it just wasn't the same as a good backyard.

On a night like tonight it is really good to be home. :)

Thirsty Traveler

I downloaded all 4 seasons of the Thirsty Travel and have started season 3. every episode has to do with some type of alcohol and the area it is from. In season 3, episode 4, the Thirsty Traveler goes to South Korea and looks at soju.

Unlike Cooking in the Danger Zones South Korean episode, it was an interesting show. I found the guy who did cooking in the Danger Zone to be a prat. The Thirsty TYraveler actually looked at a lot of aspects of drinking and soju in South Korea. Drinking customs and etiquette and original compared to modern soju. Keving Brauch, the Thirsty Traveler, wasn't condescending in the least. He gave a view of South Korea and Soju that touched even my jaded sensibilities. I recommend watching it if you haven't.

It also made me miss South Korea. I love being home but there is nothing to compare with a night out with friends in South Korea for soju and samkyubsal. Whether you go for the Korean drinking etiquette or not. I had a fantastic dinner with familty followed by a great chobia and some corona with lime. But I would kill for galbi and soju with friends.

The show also has me kicking myself for not going to Andong when I had a chance.

Tomorrow my niece is trying out a Korean restaurant with some friends. I gave her some tips. if it is any good I will be visiting. :)

Taco Bell or Tasteless Hell?

With all the chatter on the Korean Blogs I read, and write, about Taco Bell I found myself hankering for some Mexican food. since I didn't feel like driving into Halifax and going to Mexico Lindo (stupid me, that would have been best) I settled on Taco Bell.

I got the Big Box Meal. It gives you a beef taco, a cheesy gordito, and a bean & chicken burrito. It also comes with a drink and cinnamon twists.

A word of warning. Unless you like the texture of pork rinds with a mild cinnamon taste stay away from the cinnamon twists. My dog eats ANYTHING and he had second thoughts about the cinnamon twists. He ended up eating them but you could see him almost turn his nose up at them.

The beef taco was about what I expected. A little bit of soupy minced beef. The spice was ... missing. I used the hot sauce. The hottest sauce they give. It didn't live up to what you would expect with the word hot in the title.

The gordito was palatable There was more beef goop and you had a meaty flavour. Nice crunch with the 2 styles of taco shells. Once again the hot sauce disappointed.

The burrito was bland. Actually using the term bland is being nice. It was a little too goopy which made it messier than a burrito usually is. When I compare it to the burrito I used to get at Road King in Cheongju it pales. The Road King Burrito was very flavourful. You could taste the meat, the veg, everything. Hell the dump I would take after a Road King Burrito would have been better than the Taco Bell one I had. Then again what can you expect from fast food?

So, my desire for Mexican food was not sated. I can't in good conscience call the Taco Bell stuff Mexican Food. If I was in Korea the odds are curiosity would have seen my trying Taco Bell once, IF it was in Cheongju. It isn't something I would ever go out of my way for. After having some today it confirms that I could get a much better taste of Mexico at Road King in Cheongju than I could at Taco Bell.