Only from the mind of the Minolta-makers (and Aussies).

First: here is the official launching of Yusheng's Asia Trip; including a week in Seoul.

Second: I saw a famous 외국인/weigookin (foreigner) today: Robert Holly. He was at 'my' 7-11 getting 삼각김밥/sam-gak-gim-bab (triangle gimbab) also. He came here many, many years ago (started in Pusan, giving him a funny dialect that he uses to get laughs, from what I hear) and is an international lawyer as well as publisher (sites here and here) and celebrity (lots of talk shows, McDonald's ads). Of course, he's fluent in Korean and has a Korean wife and even a Korean name (하일/Ha il). It's pretty cool to spot these kinds of guys here...goes to show that if you stay here long enough and work hard that things can happen for you that could probably never happen in your home country. (Another spotting here.)

Third: Thanks Alex (pic here) for this little tidbit on Japanese ingenuity: Sapporo (A commercial city in northern Japan on western Hokkaido) stadium Seating capacity of 42,122, what's unique about this Stadium is that, it's an indoor stadium with the playing field out side, and when required, the field will move inside the stadium. Not only that, the field once inside it will rotate within its axis to ensure the spectators will get a all round view of the game being played. (You spin me right 'round, baby right 'round...like a record baby right 'round...)

Overview schematic...with the field inside the stadium.


Side view, with pics of the actual stadium.


Field outside the stadium...with extra sod in the 'bleachers'.


Wow...field in the stadium in all its glory.


Overview of the turntable in action, what's under the field and transformation from baseball to football/soccer.


Here it is in its natural habitat (until the city grows around it, that is).

Fourth: Thanks to Mery for these examples of Japanese, um, ingenuity...not sure why you'd want a house on its side or a restaurant on its head, but they did it.


Honey, did you rearrange the furniture again?


Party of 5 for the attic?

Fifth: And from the Aussies...this drink: Two Dogs. I snapped this at a little bar (꾼/kkoon, means 'expert') in Daehangro...it's a funny place. Cheap tequila (if you're into that sort of thing, you can get a bottle for 46,000 won-USD40!) and on the menu (pic didn't turn out) is says (in Korean) "The only booking here is up to your ability" referring to some clubs where the management 'match' opposite sex patrons in a move to get things interesting...you're on your own at Kkoon.

Anyways, about this Two Dogs drink; it's similar to something we have in Canada: Mike's Hard Lemonade, but the name sets it apart. Take a look at the tagline: "Why do you ask?" The joke goes like this (um, it's not too PC, so get ready):

An Indian/Native boy approaches his dad, the Chief, and asks: "Daddy, how do you name us children?"

The Chief says, "Well, when you're born I take a look around and name you after whatever I may see. For instance, your brother: when he was born I saw a massive bear on his hind legs up on a distant hill, so I called him Standing Bear. When your sister was born I saw a deer bounding across a wide field so I called her Running Deer. But tell me, why do you ask Two Dogs Copulating?"

Ok, so in the joke copulating was replaced by something else, but you get the point. (As a side note, my old roommate's father had the nickname Two Dogs from the joke from his 'buds' at the bank he worked at...no idea why this theme keeps recurring in my life.)


A drink that sounds like a joke.