The day I conquered 25 kms

The Anticipation
The brain has difficulty comprehending events it hasn't yet experienced.
I've never ran 25 kms in my life so I don't have any idea how it feels like.

The brain copes by using "memories" as reference and "imagining" what the future experience will be like. The results are often inaccurate.
I've ran a couple of 10 kms races in the past. Going by this theory, I simple recall how I felt at the end of my 10 km races and multiply it by a factor 2.5 (since 25 km = 2.5 x 10 km), then I'd get a rough idea how 25 km feels like. It's worth a try since I wasn't getting enough sleep a few days leading up to the race. I also thought of other interesting formulas.
- pain factor = 10 km race pain x 2.5
- probability of cramping during the race = 0% + (stubbornness not to stop at an aid station + reluctance to wear my fuelbelt)
- probability of vomiting during the race = 100% - (will power not to be embarrassed + commitment to swallowing back vomit)
- probability of withdrawing from the race = 100% - (thoughts that people chubbier than I am will finish + shame factor if I don't finish)

In the end, all of my formulas would prove to be very accurate except for the first one. The revised equation is shown below:
- pain factor = 10 km race pain x 2.5 x number of times you thought to yourself, "Why the hell am I doing this?"

But enough of my attempts to sound like an intelligent schmuck. It's time for some empathic storytelling.

I intended to sleep early the night before the race. I figured I needed about 6 - 7 hours of sleep. That meant I had to hit the sack at around 7 pm for me to wake up at 2 am (the race starts at 5:30 am). The extra time was for getting ready, picking up Maui and driving to the race. Man, I haven't gone to bed at 7 pm since... since... crap since I was a baby. Nevertheless, after preparing and testing my wardrobe (I have a stupid looking shot of myself with my running attire later) and having a snack (noodles), I went to bed. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. An hour later and I was still awake in bed staring at the ceiling. I can't sleep. I wonder why. Could it be that large mug of coffee I had with my noodles? It can't be since the coffee was decaf, or was it? I made a mental note to myself to test the coffee after the race. What was I to do? I can't call up Maui since we already said our sweet goodnights and she is probably fast asleep by now. I look around and found my computer. I fired it up and decided to get in a session of Icewind Dale II. Gamers know that the RPGs are the most time consuming games around. Non-gamers don't know about that fact (but you do now). Yes, Icewind Dale was a certified time eater. Next to Baldur's Gate II, IWD 2 is the best form of time travel man has invented so far (it only goes forward to the future sad to say). When I finished creating my party for the game, it was already 10pm! So much for sleeping early but thanks to the game, I fell fast asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

Talk about getting excited before the big day. This is me the night before trying to do a running man impression. Might have worked except for the stupid look on my face. It actually looks like I'm running to the dinner table.

The Race
My dad, Maui and I arrived at the venue a little past 4 am. It took us a while to find the place. Normally you would head to a large assembly of people but the fort was for the most part deserted. Ten minutes and a talk with a security guard later, we found the place. What follows is a detailed account of the events as I remember them.

Ok this is a better shot of me in gear before the race.


Ooooo, 'em runners are wearing astronaut shoes!!!


Most guys with astronaut shoes. The guy on the far right takes it to the extreme with his astronaut cap!!!


A shot of me with my dad.

Race start minus 15 minutes
I put on my secondary gear. This includes my Rudy Project Jak sunglasses (I had these fitted with transparent prescription lenses), Fuelbelt and a hairband (to get the hair out of my eyes). I decided to ditch the fuelbelt to save on weight. From here on, I would be relying on the aid stations for fluid replenishment.

Race start minus 5 minutes
Maui takes my picture and she wished me good luck. It was more than enough fuel to get me through the race =)

Dalawang Jolli Hotdog po manong. This is the starting area ten minutes before the start.


Me and my beautiful inspiration!!! In case you're wondering, yes that's a headband I'm wearing (to keep my hair out of my face) with the price tag still on.


Taken shortly before the start. The big guy at the center is I think the New Balance boss from New Zealand.

Race start minus 2 minutes
Looking around I could see all sorts of runners. In the span of a minute, I tried my best to categorize them.
- senior veteran runners - Aside from their age, you can pick them out as the ones wearing minimal non-nonsense gear. None of those expensive oakley shades, fancy fuelbelts or shoes with the latest anti-pronation devices. These guys have been through a lot and know what really matters in a long-distance race. Oh and also, you can pick them out by their shoe brands. Most of them wear the time and tested brands such as Brooks and Saucony.

- the fancy wannabes - These guys run in expensive gyms or at country clubs. They sport the latest and most expensive gear (GPS watches, Nike shoes with blinding colors, too-much fancy apparel). Some will finish, most will withdraw.

- the fancy "for-reals" - These guys run in expensive gyms or at country clubs. They are dead serious about the sport and have had more than adequate training. Cool gear and cool outfits.

- the first timers - They would be the ones chugging down a lot of water or chatting excitedly before the race. This would either be their first or nthrace (where n is less than 5).

- the casual runner - They don't really stand out aside from the fact that they don't fit in any other categories.

0 minutes
We're off!!! I wave to Maui as I pass by the start line. She takes a picture. What the hell am I thinking joining a 25 km race. I brace myself for the long haul and eventual pain. The race was staggered start. The 25 km runners started first. The 10 and 5 km runners started 15 minutes after to avoid crowding.


Go!!! That's me in the yellow circle running past the starting point.

5 - 12 minutes
I find my pace group moving along at 5:30 to 5:45 to a kilometer. We run along the Kalayaan flyover into Buendia (Gil Puyat). Legs feel fine. Not even panting. I notice that the sky is not getting any brighter as the sun begins its ascent. I spot the 5 km race turnover

15 - 20 minutes
Still along Buendia. I've trekked the length of Buendia before but not on foot. I spot familiar landmarks such as the Pacific Star building and GT Tower. Trouble begins as I feel something tightening on the front outside of my right knee. I pray that this is not the Iliotibial band syndrome I had just 3 days ago. If this got worse, my race is virtually over. I drop out of my pace group and join a couple running at 6:00 to a kilometer. I gave a cup of water at an aid station and sip half and gave the empty cup the proverbial "runners toss out to the sidewalk."

15 - 20 minutes
Right leg is really tightening up. I discover that if I lengthen my stride, the pain is not as bad. I do so knowing that altering my stride would have severe payback as the race went on. Notice some people on the side streets cheering us on.

22 - 25 minutes
I spot the 10 km turnover. I was really tempted to take it and convert my 25 km race to just 10 km. I did not give in. I'd reap my punishment soon.

25 - 30 minutes
I spot Mr. Buenavista with a pace/time van behind him going the opposite direction. I cheer him on. Man, that guy is sure fast. We reach the 25 km turnover. This is not the half-point of the race but merely the 1st of 3 turnarounds. What the hell am I doing in this race.

40 - 50 minutes
My right leg is in pain. I start limping. I decide to pull over to the sidewalk and do so leg side stretches to calm whatever was tightening up. Crap this is my iliotibial band again as the pain is familiar. I stretch for 2 minutes and head out again. The pain is still there but not as much.

55 minutes
It starts raining. This would serve as a good distraction from the pain in my leg. I focus on complaining to myself about the rain and the wet weather. I almost forget about my knee pain. I join a 10 km group on the way back to the fort.

1 hour
We reach the fort but we don't take that left turn to the finish. Instead we head straight into the bowels of Fort Bonifacio. This is going to be a loooooong run. Rain slows to a drizzle. I slow down to wipe myself down. Bad move as my Rudy Project starts to fog. I ran for 5 minutes half-blind.

1 hour 15 minutes
This is the start of the pain. My legs start to feel heavy. I start to feel a slight side stitch building. My left shoulder starts aching. What the hell am I doing in this race. I notice a lot of soldiers cheering us on. I join another pace group to help me along.

1 hour 30 minutes
Pain in my right leg is still there and I nearly stopped when it let out a sharp pain. How long can I keep ignoring that bugger? My left leg is starting to fatigue from all compensation it's doing for my bum right leg. I grab a cup of water at an aid station. I didn't know that the next aid station would be 30 minutes along. I begin to think about food.

1 hour 32 minutes
We take the 2nd turnaround. I notice several runners eating bananas, downing energy gels and chomping on chocolate bar. What do I have? Notice but saliva and regret for not bringing my fuelbelt. I suck. I notice some runners stopping at sari-sari stores to buy ensaymada and softdrinks. I have no money with me. Would the tinderas give me free food and a drink if I beg? Sounds like an option. I think about Maui waiting at the finish.

1 hour 40 minutes
Legs feel like lead now. I have a hard time maintaining my pace and drop to almost 7 minute to a kms. My left heel starts to ache. This is the longest I've ever run. At this rate, I would completely shut down at the 2 hour mark. Where is that damn aid station??? A couple of runners going back tell us that the 3rd and last turnaround is close.

1 hour 41 minutes
He said "it's really close" but where is the turnaround? A minute sometimes feels like eternity in a long-distance race. A guy passes me and says "easy pace lang pare para makatapos." I remember him as someone I passed an hour ago. I run alongside him for pacing

1 hour 45 minutes
I reach an aid station and my pace partner asks if I have food to eat. I said no. "Ito o, iyo na yan." He gives me half of this energy gel. I thank him and grab two cups of water from the aid station. The gel was chocolate flavored. It tasted like food from heaven and the water I washed it down with tasted like the finest red wine. Hopefully this would last me for the next 30 minutes.

1 hour 55 minutes
I reach the 3rd and last turnaround. My whole body is in pain now. I let out an expletive, "PUT****** ITO!!!" What the hell am I doing in this race. I run alongside a runner wearing basketball sneakers. I start to feel a cramp on both my calves. I almost panic. This would surely end my race if allowed to fully cramp. I won't cramp this close to the finish. I stop and give my calves a stretching. I think about Maui again.

2 hours
Surprisingly, instead of shutting down, I find my 2nd wind. My gait was smoother and I'm breathing easier. The pain is still there but my brain has created enough chemicals to effectively suppress it.

2 hours 15 minutes
I run with a manong. We chat and I feel better. He tells me about the marathons he has run. I ask him if the finish is near. He says 2 kms. It was a white lie to boost my spirits. The finish is 4 kms away. A girl passes us and asks about the distance to the finish. Crap, she looks as fresh. How come she doesn't look tired??? That is so unfair.

2 hours 25 minutes
Mr. Manong drops off. I start running at pace with an old gentleman. He looks over 50 and runs with a serene look on his face. He tells me that he's 52 and has been running all his life. He tells me about all the races I should join like the Pasig River and Milo marathon. We leave the military infrastructures of Fort Bonifacio and spot the building of the fort. The sky starts to clear.

2 hours 30 minutes
Two other runners join us. A quiet guy wearing glasses and a guy wearing a Botak sando with the name "Joel" printed on the back. My spirits rise and fall along with the road.

2 hours 35 minutes
We spot the last turn to the finish and our pace quickens.

2 hours 40 minutes
We make the turn. I start to smile. A small girl passes our group. I frown.

2 hours 41 minutes
We make the turn. I look around for my dad and Maui. I see my Dad and he waves.

2 hours 41minutes 43 seconds
FINISH!!! I stop and start to fell dizzy. I jog a bit near the start/finish area.

2 hours 43 - 50 miuntes
I see Maui!!! What a sight!!! I forget all about the pain. She gives me a towel. I know that she has a very bad migraine and had a hard time just standing up but she came to see me finish regardless. I love her so much. We take a couple of pictures.

2 hours 55 minutes
I change my shirt and replenish my fluids. I have Maui get back in the car to lie down. What a day!!! I look around and smile. I did it!!! All 25 kilometers of it.

3 hours
We leave for breakfast and for Maui's checkup. Until the next race. A marathon perhaps.

My finishing time was 2 hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. This shot proves that it took me 4 minutes and 25 seconds to walk next to the finish line, pose and get my picture taken.


Dad I think our orange juice is spoiled. It turned purple!!!


A shot of the awarding ceremonies. I didn't stay long as I had to run to get a better reward. Breakfast!!!!


A shot of the start/finish line.


A post-race shot. All sorts of different runners sharing the race experience.


These shoes served me well. New Balance 765's, my favorite running shoe.

Ocampo Family Garage Sale!!!

My girlfriend's family is having a garage sale. All readers of my blog are invited to come. It's at 46 Montilla Street, BF Home, Paranaque, Metro Manila. Indulge me in my little composition called The Garage Sale

Ah yes, the garage sale
Truly they aren't just for males
Spend some time to browse and look
Heck, who knows you might find a rare book

It's a place of wonder and surprises
Not to mention good stuff at darn cheap prices
So get off your butt you lazy bum
Go to the Ocampo garage sale and have some fun!!!

The sign says it all.



The garage sale before the opening. There is a lot more stuff now.



Exercise gear!!! You often saw these in informercials and from friends who never seem to use them. You have an inclined bench, a threadmill (folded up), a stepper, an "ab roller," an "ab flex" and another "ab-(place verb here)" thingee.



Shoes and shoeracks. Most of these have already been bought. Most of these are size 6.



Behind the scenes putting price tags on everything. From left to right: Tito Pete (Maui's dad who is partly cut-off), Elaine (Maui's cousin) and Tintin (Maui's sister).



Uhm, Koji (the cute guinea pig) is not for sale. I just wanted to include her picture hehehe.

Band desires

I've been suffering from band withdrawal for more than a year now. It was around August last year when I last played with a band. Nowadays, my bass is stowed away in a muggy corner of my room, my hands are not as nimble anymore and I'm still stuck listening to japanese pop. My mainstay band, Half-wishing, has been on hiatus since 2002 mainly due of the "realities of life" (Accenture slavery). Now I'm thinking of putting up a new band with my girlfriend. I'm thinking of starting a duo first and expanding it to accomodate anybody who wants to join. Obviuosly, I've also been playing the band name game. I currently have three names in mind.

1. Suicide Siopao - I knew a band called Suicide Siomai that played 80's pop songs but with a 90s poprock twist. So why not name a band after them but make it sound bigger (since a siopao is four times bigger than a siomai).

2. Killer Kalabasa - I'm looking for a name that sounds edgy with an touch of humor to it (including food references hehehe) and this name was the first that came up.

3. Sundried Tomatoes - Sounds a bit like Smashing Pumpkins. I like it because my girlfriend and I love sundried tomatoes with our pasta. This name might be the one.

Just for posterity, I included some band pictures.

The De La Salle University Chamber Ensemble (circa 1997). That's me on the upper left hugging my huge double bass.


Half-wishing during the CIO fashion show (December 2001). From left to right: Jomar Abesamis (rhythm guitar), me (low frequency device), Debbie Wong (vocals), John Evangelista (drums), Gwen Torres (vocals) and Mike Duff (lead guitar).


Another Half-wishing picture.


My Ibanez bass temporarily freed from storage.


The view down under.

Gamer's month

Ok this is just too much for a gamer to bear!!! Just this month there has been three great (as in uber great) games released and I can't believe I haven't played any of them yet! They are:

1. Half-life 2 (PC) - Gosh if you haven't heard of this game, then you have been in a coma for the past five years. It has everything! Great gameplay, excellent story telling, cool level designs and kick-ass multiplayer. This game spawned a "mod" game you might have heard of. It's called Counterstrike.

A crowbar and hazard suit are essential accessories for nerds.

2. Halo 2 (Xbox) - This game made the Xbox a "must have" console. I basically bought the Xbox just to be able to play this game. It was game of year three years ago and I'm still playing it.

You talkin' to me?

3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) - Metal Gear is an institution and Hideo Kojima (creator) is one of the gaming gods. This game first appeared on the Nintendo Famicom or NES (depending where in the world you lived). Simply put, every Metal Gear game needs to be played because "it should."

Snake?... Snake?... SNAKE!!!!

Bottomline is, November 2004 is gamer's month.

Maui and Jomar Xboxing or PS2ing?

Oh by the way, the Nintendo DS is coming out also this month (Nov. 21 in the US). Do you have your pre-orders in?

Feeling techie

After fixing two computers last week, I decided to muck around with my PC. There has always been two things I want to fix.

Muzzle the noisy fan - My old CPU got fried two years ago playing computer games during the hottest summer I could remember. So when assembled my new PC, I told the guy at the computer store to Give me the biggest and baddest fan you've got!!! And he did, he installed a Thermaltake Volcano 7+. Unfortunately it was also the noisiest one they had. I found out a few days later that the fan came with a speed control switch which the technician didn't bother to install (and inform me too). Since I had all the time in the world, I installed the darn switch (it was a no-brainer) and set the speed to medium. The Thermaltake website mentions that the noise is 47dB at high, 35dB at medium and 24dB at low. I gotta tell you, the 12dB difference between high (the default setting without the switch)and medium (my new setting) is very noticeable. Now, my PC doesn't sound like it's going to take off the ground anymore. To further cut down the noise, I installed a couple of carton walls on one side of the inner casing. I was thinking of using eggshell cartons but then it would be a tight squeeze in there.

First of all, you gotta have these cool safety glasses when working around computers hehehe.



Ahhh yes, the mythical fan speed controller at last!!!



The fan speed controller installed. Hmmm, now where do I place this darn switch?



Noise-reducing cartons. Yeah right. I'm not even sure if they work but it did cut down on the noise a bit.

Revive the dead motherboard - Call me stupid but I messed-up my PC two days ago when I bumped-up the FSB speed in CMOS to 166 Mhz from 133. Now this would be perfectly fine if your the speed of the bus was in synch with the memory and chip. Unfortunately it wasn't. I'm going to cut down on the tech talk but suffice to say, after I changed the setting, my PC wouldn't boot up. Just a blank screen. Not even a beep. Going to the nearby computer shop to have it looked at was not an option. Technicians at computer stores are trained to sell sell sell!!! Even though your computer (or a part) is in perfect working condition, they'll concoct a story telling you whats wrong with it. Often they would throw in technical jargon to confuse you even more and make you believe that your computer is crap. This is based on the "computer shop" assumption that most people who go their shops to have their computer fixed are: a) people who know nothing about computer hardware and b) people who are hardware techies and know what needs to be replaced. They could tell if you fall into A or B based on the way you talk and the questions you ask. Anyway, I just fired-up my old laptop so surf for a solution. As it turns out, my mobo type (motherboard) needs to reset if it encounters an incompatible setting. This involves:
1. Unplugging the power cable
2. Finding the darn reset CMOS jumper. This is a good reason to keep your mobo manual.
3. Moving the jumper to reset the CMOS.
4. Wait 15 seconds (just to be sure).
5. Moving the jumper back to it's original position
If you've done everything perfectly, the computer should boot-up nicely. It boots-up with the default CMOS setting so you have to reset any values you've modified previously. Well, it works. Now I'm happy as a clam again since I learned new hardware stuff.

The "hard-to-find" CMOS reset jumper. Usually it's located next to the CMOS battery.

Public service announcement

Sa panahon ngayon, bawal ang kumain ng apoy.

Eksbaks

hmmm... paano kaya mag-hadoken sa eksbaks???

Dedication of Russell's baby

Her name is Caitlin Rachel Samson. She is a little over two months old. Last weekend, Maui and I went to her dedication north of Manila. I was chosen to be one of her godfathers. Her Dad, Russell, is part of our barkada (circle of friends) in Accenture. Her mom, Tintin, is a batchmate of ours in college. It was a long drive (for me) from Las Pinas but the event was worth the trip. You see, "we're" (I'm including a couple of unnamed individuals here) not used to thinking of Russell as a dad yet as he is the youngest in our start group. But from what I saw, he's definitely one already hehehe.

Extra rant:
I'm not good at long city drives . That's short for I'm-a-crappy-driver-by-Filipino-standards-and-I'm-not-used-to-driving-in-Manila-because-my-blood-pressure-always-goes-up-when-I-do

The Samson family.



The godfathers. I'm signing the contract stating my duties as a godfather (gulp!).



The Accenture Jologs barkada.



Me and Maui. No I'm not drunk.

The LG Mart office

Peter sent over a couple of shots he took of the LG Mart office in South Korea. Peter is the resident tech guy, DBA and problem-solver person on the project. He's South African so he speaks an english accent crossed with Afrikaans.

It's weird looking at these pictures now knowing that I won't probably be seeing these people again. They were a very nice bunch and they made my stay in Korea memorable.

Here is a nice shot of the office. There's a lot of us in there so there's not much personal space. I sit near where the camera would be. Almost everyone has a laptop and some of them are quite advanced and cool-looking. The sign on the far wall reads, "For the Future, Users and Ourselves." "All for One." "One for All." It kinda gives us a sense of importance (somewhat). Call it a morale booster during crappy days.



Mr. Chi-ho Choi. Accenture Korea consultant. Master of detail and documentation. He's a bit soft spoken but he knows his stuff.



Mr. Dongmin Park (a lot of people are named "Park" in Korea). LG Mart buyer. Also known as Mr. Starcraft to Jason and myself. He is part of a gang of four who spends their free time playing Starcraft. A very jolly, fun and wholesome guy.



Ms. Hyo Kim (a lot of people are also named "Kim") and a new girl. Most people do that V sign when they have their picture taken. It's a Korean thing. Oh, some say "kimchi" instead of "cheese" too.



Mr. Gun-il Son and Moon-Seob Son (no they are not related). Both are Accenture Korea. They are two of the guys I usually talk to. Gun-il is the guy you want to hang out with when fun and drink is involved. Moon-Seob is the avid mountain climber. He took me mountain climbing during my first week.



Mrs. Hwa Kim. LG CNS lead. LG CNS is the software/ tech/ consulting/ support company of the LG conglomerate. Some of our officemates jokingly call Mrs. Kim "ajuma" which means old lady because she's married and has a kid.

re-learning piano

With all the free time I have I decided to tickle the ivories on our old piano in the living room. It was nostalgic playing all the pieces I spend days practicing as a kid. Mozart is always elegant, Beethoven moody and Chopin a convoluted barrage of 16th notes. It felt like I was reconnecting neurons in my brain. Revisiting muscle-brain connections I haven't used in years. It amazes me how easily you remember all the mechanical movements to a Brahm's piece or to any of the numbered concertos by Schubert. I can liken it to an "out-of-body" experience watching your fingers fly over an arrangement you literally burned onto your brain lest you suffer the nasty whack of your piano teacher's stick. Piano lesson were a chore, a pseudo pre-pubescent "rite of passage" I had to suffer to make myself worthy of my parent's bragging rights to neighbors and relatives. I guess "suffer" is an exaggeration but for a kid, it comes really close. In retrospect, it was worth the "suffering." Learning other intruments is a breeze if you know your way around 'em 88 keys. I needed to be cool in highschool so I learned guitar. I needed a scholarship in college so I learned bass. I guess everything fell into place.

Now, I'm playing the piano again. Mainly for myself and for my girlfriend. I may not be a hack at it but I do manage to get past most of the stuff Tchaikovsky throws my way.

Thanks to all my past piano and music teachers for the gift of music.

By the way, You can find anything on the internet these days. I don't even have to buy sheet music anymore 'coz it's all over the net.

running scared

I woke up this morning scared of the number 25. I only dread 25 if you attach the word kilometers to it. You see, on a whim, I signed up for a 25km race on the 21st of November at Fort Bonifacio organized by New Balance ('em running shoes). I've been running for two years and it is the first time I'll be running 25kms. The longest I've run is 19 kms and I felt like a wilted vegetable afterwards. Nevertheless, I continue to train with the number 25 creeping up like twilight's shadow behind me. Nov 21st is D-Day and I just hope that I finish the distance without passing out or puking all over the asphalt.

To date (two years), I've:
- joined three 10 km races (all in the Philipines)
- joined one 7 km race (in Seoul, South Korea)
- went through four pairs of running shoes
- collected four race t-shirts
- received a race medal
- ran a total of 3640 kms or 2275 miles
- lost 30 lbs from my original 180 lbs when I first started
- suffered a minor leg injury
- decided that Nike shoes are more flash than functionality for me
- found my ideal running shoe (NB 765)
- collected 14 back issues of Runner's World

Memories of Korea

Been sorting through a lot of my pictures from Korea. Here are a couple more.

This is a street in Yeoido near where I live. Look at all the neon lights!!! Sign makers must make a fortune here. I wonder if the heat generated by the lights are enough to thaw the snow in winter.



Dr. Shirota's Yakult made it's way to Korea too. Not surpised as Japan is just a short hop away. In Korea, they still have the ladies that sell Yakult on the streets with the refrigerated carts and funny hats. I guess all our Yakult ladies (during the 80s) either got run over by reckless drivers or the job just died out.



Buddhist temple. Notice the symbol that looks like the Nazi swastika. Apparently, Hitler's Third Reich "borrowed" the symbol and inverted it for their own use. Imagine my surprise when I saw this.



Only in Korea did I realize that there are a lot (and I mean a lot!!!) of different kimchis. I only get the cabbage kimchi in the Philippines. Looking at this exhibit, it seems that anything veggie-like can me "kimchied." Being a kimchi lover, I stood at this exhibit for the longest time.



Kimchi lovers will definitely love this museum in COEX mall. Unfortunately they don't allow you to take pictures.



The Green Line (Line 2) subway. Korea has one of the most efficient public transportation in the world. You can get anywhere in the city using the subway and bus. Even a foreigner like me had no problems. Just avoid the rush hours though. Even though the trains got crowded, it wasn't as bad as the LRT or MRT.